Ministers have been accused of taking prisons in a “catastrophic direction” with capacity set to reach its limit within the next six weeks, jail chiefs have warned.
Prison Governors’ Association President Andrea Albutt has threatened ministers with legal action if they do not commit to bringing down numbers.
She accused the Government of “lying” to the public by telling them “that locking up more people and for longer increases public safety” as she said the over-stretched, overcrowded system cannot properly rehabilitate people.
The prisons expert wants ministers “to commit to an early release scheme” to bring down numbers as “when we are full, we are full”.
“There is no possibility of overcrowding further due to the health and safety implications for those living and working in prisons,” she added.
Latest weekly figures reveal there are just 786 available prison cells in England and Wales.
Labour research suggests hundreds of offenders will get off without jail sentences because of a lack of space in prisons.
Meanwhile, assaults against prison staff have rocketed by 142% over the last decade.
In a powerful speech about the deterioration of the prison system during her almost eight years as PGA President, Ms Albutt said the prison population had risen from around 45,000 in the 1970s and is projected to be at 100,000 by 2030.
There are currently 85,415 people in prisons - and as Ms Albutt points out: “At an average cost of £46,000 per prisoner per year, this is not value for money for the taxpayer as prison does not work.”
“The public needs to be educated and moved from this belief that locking up more people and for longer increases public safety. It’s a lie and it is perpetuated by government rhetoric,” she added.
“The PGA want a firm commitment from Government that they will reduce the prison population and fund the prison system, so that we can truly rehabilitate people in our care and make our communities safer.”
Shadow Justice Secretary Steve Reed said: “After 13 years, the Conservatives have lost control of our prisons and left dangerous criminals to roam the streets.
”Prisoners are left to run riot with spiralling rates of violence, drugs and alcohol - breeding more criminal behaviour, posing a significant risk to the public once they are released.
“Labour is the party of law and order. We will lock up criminals who deserve it and make prisons work to drive down reoffending rates. That’s how we will prevent crime, punish criminals and protect communities.”
Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said: “The warning from senior leaders in the prison service to government ministers could not be starker – prisons will run out of space in less than two months, and under these conditions it is impossible for prison governors to guarantee the safety of prisoners and staff.
“Ministers must act now to ensure prisons are able to hold people in their care safely, decently and securely. They urgently need a plan to reduce unnecessary imprisonment and give prisons the breathing space they so desperately need.”
A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said: “We’re building six new prisons and creating an additional 20,000 places to deliver the biggest prison expansion in over a century.
“As the public would rightly expect, we’re also taking action to accelerate additional capacity in the immediate term, including rolling out hundreds of rapid deployment cells – with the first already in place at HMP Norwich.”
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