Prison population to top 100,000 by 2030

Projection falling

Within the central situation, by September 2028, the entire jail inhabitants is now estimated to be round 2,400 decrease than within the earlier 2024 to 2029 publication. The distinction is predominantly pushed by the impression of latest sentencing coverage measures together with:

The impacts of The Legal Justice Act 2003 (House Detention Curfew) Order 2023 and modifications to the House Detention Curfew (HDC) coverage framework which elevated the time offenders might spend on HDC to a most of 12 months (carried out third June 2025)The Legal Justice Act 2003 (Suitability for Mounted Time period Recall) Order 2025 which elevated use of Mounted Time period Recall for offenders on sentences of below 4 years.

Uncertainty

Within the first few years of the projection interval, the projected rise within the jail inhabitants is closely influenced by a rise in receptions of determinate sentenced offenders. This improve in receptions displays noticed will increase in police and prosecutorial exercise over latest years, resulting in projected will increase within the variety of instances that enter the prison courts.

There are a number of sources of uncertainty in projecting the longer term jail inhabitants, notably across the degree of demand getting into the Legal Justice System (CJS). This publication presents three jail inhabitants projections to evaluate the impression of differing doable upstream demand situations which have been agreed between the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the House Workplace and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The cross-CJS view is that cost volumes are more likely to proceed rising over a three-to-five-year horizon. Though there are components equivalent to a progress in police officer workload which might supress cost volumes, these are assumed to be outweighed by cost rising components equivalent to: will increase in officer expertise; officer numbers and investigator capability. It’s on this premise that the next situations are estimated:

Low upstream demand: assumes demand stays on the degree noticed within the 12 months to Jun-25.

Central upstream demand: assumes that demand continues to rise however at a regularly reducing fee. Demand at March 2030 is c.7% and c.9% larger in Crown and magistrates’ courts respectively than the extent noticed within the 12 months to Jun-25.

Excessive upstream demand: displays the truth that there are a number of dangers that might drive demand up additional than the ‘Central’ estimate. The ‘Excessive’ situation displays a scenario the place present progress charges proceed for an additional 12 months earlier than beginning to degree off. Demand at March 2030 is c.13% and c.14% larger in Crown and magistrates’ courts respectively than the extent noticed within the 12 months to Jun-25.

Continued progress in variety of older prisoners

Over the course of 2025 the proportion of the jail inhabitants aged 50 and older has remained comparatively flat at c.18%. The 50-year-old and over inhabitants is projected to extend from 16,163 on the finish of September 2025 to 18,600 in September 2029 within the central situation.

This projected improve within the 50-year-old and over jail inhabitants is pushed by the identical underlying drivers as these within the general inhabitants, together with progress in police charging and prosecutorial exercise and receipts into court docket.

Age and intercourse

The grownup male (18 and over) inhabitants is projected to extend from 83,685 on the finish of September 2025 to 95,400 by September 2029. 

The juvenile inhabitants contains these within the 15 to 17 age group and covers solely offenders held in HMPPS estates. Observe that figures don’t cowl these younger offenders held in Safe Kids’s Properties or Safe Coaching Centres. The juvenile inhabitants decreased in 2020 and has remained roughly fixed at c.300 for the reason that finish of 2020. The variety of 15- to 17-year-olds in HMPPS custody is projected to stay at this degree all through the projection, with a projected inhabitants of c.300 at September 2029.

The grownup feminine inhabitants has remained flat since September 2024 and is 3,527 on the finish of September 2025 (3,524 at finish of September 2024). This inhabitants barely elevated over 2025 earlier than reducing in September 2025 on account of the latest change to mounted time period remembers and is projected to extend to three,900 within the central situation by September 2029.

Potential for decrease progress

These estimates don’t account for future insurance policies which are more likely to impression the jail inhabitants however are but to be formally agreed by Parliament. For instance, the sentencing reforms as set out within the Sentencing Invoice 2025, that are designed to suppress progress within the jail inhabitants, are usually not included, nor are any impacts from authorities insurance policies in response to the Unbiased Evaluate into Legal Courts. A number of the deliberate measures on the latter equivalent to giving Magistrates powers to condemn individuals to custody for longer would most likely improve the inhabitants if carried out.