Dame Antonia Romeo, the current Cabinet Secretary, is facing scrutiny over her past role at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) as the United Kingdom grapples with a severe prison overcrowding crisis that is leading to early releases of inmates.
During her four-year tenure overseeing the MoJ, problems mounted with the construction of new prison cells. Members of Parliament accused Dame Antonia of presiding over a "ticking timebomb" as the department was aware of diminishing space in existing facilities, yet the development of new sites faced delays. According to the National Audit Office, only 6,518 new prison places were constructed out of a projected 20,000, with the target now expected to be met five years behind schedule.
Dame Antonia acknowledged a "degree of slippage in the delivery" when questioned by the Public Accounts Committee last year, attributing the delays to unforeseen issues, including planning challenges. She also faced questions regarding the MoJ's decision to sign a 10-year lease for HMP Dartmoor, despite known issues with high levels of radon gas that render hundreds of cells unusable.
Former prison governor John Podmore stated that Dame Antonia "watched it all go wrong" during her time at the MoJ and that he did not observe any significant interventions. He suggested that the department could have alleviated space constraints by reducing the number of suspects held on remand awaiting trial or by decreasing the number of recalled prisoners for minor license breaches. Concerns have been raised that the Prime Minister is now considering drastic measures to create space, including potentially housing male inmates in female facilities, to avoid including high-profile offenders such as those convicted in the killing of PC Andrew Harper in early release schemes.
Professor Ian Acheson, another former governor, noted Dame Antonia's prior responsibility for the "disastrous" part-privatisation of the probation service, which was later reversed. He suggested that senior civil servants advising the Prime Minister bear some responsibility for the current state of the criminal justice system. He criticized the MoJ as one of Whitehall's least effective departments and implied that a "wholesale clear out" of officials who have served poorly would be beneficial.
However, a government source defended Dame Antonia, asserting that the current prison crisis is a legacy of Conservative ministers who ignored official warnings and failed to act. Insiders pointed to decisions made by Conservative-era ministers, such as increasing prison sentences and insufficient funding, as key drivers of the overcrowding. A government spokesperson stated that as Permanent Secretary at the MoJ, Dame Antonia led the program for new prison places, which included opening three new prisons with over 4,500 places and plans for an additional 14,000 by 2031. The spokesperson added that she and her team worked to prevent the system from reaching maximum capacity, including during the summer riots in 2024, where she led the criminal justice system's response.