Calls are mounting for UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to repurpose at least one women's prison into a male-only facility to address a growing prison overcrowding crisis. This proposal comes in the wake of a pause on Labour's early release scheme, a move initiated amid public outcry over the potential early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers.
The early release scheme, which would have allowed prisoners to be freed after serving half of their sentence instead of the usual two-thirds, was slated to begin on September 2. However, Mr. Burnham announced an "urgent review" of the policy, stating that no prisoners would be released under the scheme until this review is complete. This decision has created uncertainty for thousands of inmates eligible for release and has prompted officials to seek alternative solutions to manage prison capacity.
Repurposing Facilities and Alternative Sentencing
Among the proposed solutions is the conversion of existing women's prisons, which house a significantly smaller portion of the total inmate population. Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust (PRT), suggested transforming HMP Bronzefield, the country's largest female prison, into a male-only facility. This conversion could potentially create over 500 free spaces. Other suggestions include releasing pregnant women and mothers with babies from incarceration.
Women constitute approximately 4% of the prison population in England and Wales, with many serving sentences for non-violent offenses. "For nearly 20 years we have known what needs to be done to reduce women's imprisonment, yet women are still being sent to prison in their thousands," Ms. Sinha stated. "The problem is not a lack of policy, evidence or good intentions – it is the failure to put these into practice."
Former Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has indicated that repurposing women's prisons is "absolutely worth looking at," acknowledging it is not a complete solution but a viable option. The chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, Mark Fairhurst, also commented that many non-violent female offenders could benefit from robust community sentences, thereby freeing up prison capacity.
The PRT has also recommended that the Ministry of Justice cease recalling offenders for license breaches, proposing alternatives such as home detention curfews and electronic tagging. Additionally, they suggest ensuring all spaces in open prisons are utilized.
The Impact of Pausing Early Release
The pause on the early release scheme has heightened concerns about prison capacity. Sir David Gauke, former Conservative Justice Secretary, warned that prisons in England and Wales were "on course to run out of capacity in November" if the scheme remained suspended. He highlighted that increased sentence lengths and release points have not been matched by a corresponding increase in prison capacity, leading to a crisis.
"We should not aim to have prisons at capacity," Sir David wrote. "Running at capacity makes it hard to deliver rehabilitation, and leaves the system vulnerable if there is a spike in criminality... The current spare capacity won't last long."
The controversy surrounding the early release scheme intensified following the revelation that Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, convicted of the manslaughter of PC Andrew Harper, were eligible for release under the policy. PC Harper died in August 2019 at the age of 28. While the driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and was not eligible for the scheme, Cole and Bowers, who were passengers, had received 13-year sentences for manslaughter.
PC Harper's widow, Lissie Harper, described the scheme as "deplorable," and his mother, Debbie Adlam, stated that Mr. Burnham's pause was "not enough" and called for a thorough review of the policy.