Conservative Party pledges 50,000 new prison places in UK

The Conservative Party has pledged to create 50,000 new prison places in England and Wales if they return to power. The proposal aims to end the practice of early prisoner releases necessitated by capacity shortages.

The plan is estimated to cost £2 billion annually. To fund this, the Conservatives suggest cutting the foreign aid budget by £1 billion, reducing spending at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by £1 billion, and limiting government communications spending by £500 million. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized the current Labour government, stating that dangerous offenders should not be released simply because the state lacks sufficient cells.

The Labour Party has dismissed the proposal as not “credible,” with Party Chairwoman Bridget Phillipson accusing the Conservatives of leaving the criminal justice system at a breaking point. Phillipson noted that during 14 years of Conservative governance, only approximately 500 new prison places were created while 23 prisons were closed.

Currently, prisons in England and Wales are operating at approximately 98% capacity. Under existing rules, eligible prisoners can be released on community licenses after serving one-third of their sentences to prevent overcrowding. These rules exclude those convicted of murder, manslaughter, sexual offenses, or fatal driving offenses.