Dangerous overcrowding in jails: More prison places needed

Prison overcrowding is a serious issue. As many as 50 inmates — fellow citizens, no matter what they have been convicted of — have slept on floor mattresses every night this year. That, though hardly life-threatening, indicates an overstretched system. Prison Service figures show the average daily population was 3,738 in late 2017 but hit 4,025 on July 5.

Population predictions say we will have 5m people by 2021 and 6.7m by 2051. Unless something dramatic happens we will need a proportionate increase in prison places unless we decide jail is no longer a way to protect society. That seems as unlikely as all criminals mending their ways. It is never easy to advocate building more prison places, but reliable alternatives remain elusive. Accepting that probability seems one way to avert further deterioration in a barely-coping system, one that fails society and individuals.