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Sky News has learned that ministers want reforms for sentencing policy that will reduce the prison population by more than ten percent.
The sentencing is under pressure to make recommendations that will send 9,500 fewer people prison By 2028.
The independent review of the sentence policy is led by former Justice Minister David GaukeWill submit his findings to the government next month.
There are currently 87,938 people in prison in England and Wales. The male estate is almost full again and works with more than 99% capacity, with Emergency measures caused to keep offenders in police officers while the prison no longer has space.
Government projections indicate that by 2029 the prison population will increase to more than 100,000 prisoners.
In an indication of how severe the current situation has become, Sky News was told of the prison -governors who get messages directly from the working hours, in which they are asked to free space to jail new prisoners.
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Prison memory on the population at record level
The sentencing panel is expected to make suggestions on the impact of short sentences, greater use of alternatives to prison conservation and possible steps to reduce the number of women behind bars.
But sources close to the review process indicate that the deletion of short sentences will only deliver “hundreds of” free spaces, with more radical changes to sentencing practices needed to facilitate overpopulation.
Certain crimes fall beyond the scope of the review – such as murder – but reforms considered can see that other serious offenders serve less time in prison.
It is clear that the sentencing panel met with relevant authorities for feedback, and there is nervousness among the police about the additional number of people to be managed in the community.
Authorities support the need for a review of sentencing, with shifts away from preservation conditions for some offenders to solve the prison crisis, but changes will increase policing pressure.
The review will also consider other examples of policy and punishment systems from around the world.
Read more from Sky News:
Jenrick: sentencing of ‘dual’ justice
Rising prison numbers overwhelming prisons
On a recent trip to Texas, the Secretary of Justice saw offenders how offenders earned “good behavior” credits, giving prisoners the ability to serve less time behind bars by participating in work or courses.
David Gauke also previously pointed to the use of open prisons in SpainWhere 25% of offenders are housed in lower security prisons, with prisoners who can leave the prison for study and work during the day.
The capacity problems in England and Wales are sharper in the higher security, or ‘closed’, estates, so that greater use of open prisons would help facilitate the overpopulation.
But there are concerns among the open governors of the open prison Offenders with high risk are sent to open prisons If it should not be so, for capacity reasons.
A spokesman for the Justice Ministry said: ‘The government has inherited overcrowded prisons at the point of collapse – we have put in place emergency measures and were clear that long -term action was needed.
“Along with our dedication to building 14,000 prison places, we will carefully consider all recommendations by the independent sentencing to ensure that we are never out of space again.”
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