Written statement: The future of our prison system - July 1

Deputy Prime Minister (David Lammy): This Government inherited a prison system in crisis, with prisons on the verge of collapse. Dame Anne Owers' Independent Review of Prison Capacity has set out that shortly after the announcement of the 2024 General Election at one point there were fewer than 100 places available in adult male prisons, and that the system had been in crisis for over eighteen months.

The immediate action had to be to stabilise the system to ensure sufficient prison places to hold offenders sentenced to custody. Considerable work has already been undertaken to this effect, including through implementation of the Sentencing Act. Whilst the last government added fewer than 500 net places overall to the prison estate in 14 years, we have already delivered c3,100 places and aim to deliver 14,000 additional prison places by 2031.

We have seen some early signs of progress made possible by that stabilisation: in the 12 months to December 2025, rates of assaults on staff and self-harm in custody decreased by 4.5% and 8% respectively. But we must be clear that the challenges facing the prison system are not only immediate but structural, evolving, and long-term in nature.

And we are continuing to build on that: we are investing a further £35 million this year on improving security across 17 of our most challenging establishments. This covers the installation of up to 13,000 new heavy duty steel grilles by Spring 2027, preventing contraband such as drugs and weapons being delivered into cells by drones. This builds on more than £40m already invested in physical security improvements.

Prisons are facing significant and complex pressures. Technological change, serious and organised crime, and the demands of managing high-risk offenders are reshaping what is required to hold people safely, securely and decently in custody. Recent serious incidents, such as the horrific incident at HMP Frankland in Spring 2025, underline the importance of ensuring that our prisons are safe, secure and capable of reducing reoffending.

We must ensure that our approach to the prison system keeps pace with these developments. The action this government has already taken has provided an opportunity to look strategically at how we meet these challenges and the long-term future of prisons.

That is why I am today announcing the launch of The Independent Review of the Prison System.

The purpose of this review is twofold.

First, it will provide a strategic, risk-based assessment of the key challenges facing the prison system, including security threats, maintaining safety and decency in the face of a long-term trend of a rising prison population, and how our approach to managing risk needs to evolve over time.

Second, it will identify practical and deliverable options for reform to improve the resilience, performance and effectiveness of our prisons, ultimately focusing on how we can best protect the public. The review will build a robust evidence base to support long-term decision-making and inform our future strategy for prisons, ensuring that we are equipped to meet both current and emerging challenges. The review will also consider the opportunities available to strengthen the system, including those arising from recent reforms and investment. It will ensure that we are making best use of the levers available to improve outcomes, deliver value for money, and support a more effective and sustainable prison system over the long term.

Today I am launching this review and it is anticipated to conclude by the end of this year. I will provide the House with a further update once the Review has concluded and I have had opportunity to consider the findings. I will deposit a copy of the Terms of Reference for the Review in the Library of the House, and they have also been published on GOV.UK.

Given the need for a review that commands confidence across Parliament and supports delivery over the long term, it is important that the Chair brings cross-party credibility and experience at the highest levels of government. For that reason, I have chosen to appoint The Rt Hon Amber Rudd as the Chair.

The pressures facing the prison system form part of a wider set of challenges across public services. As Deputy Prime Minister, I am determined that we take a whole-system approach, one that looks across government, aligns policy with operational reality, and ensures that long-term decisions are grounded in evidence and deliver value for money.

That means improving not just prisons but the wider criminal justice system. We are increasing investment in probation and community services by a further £700 million by 2028/29 and onboarding at least 1,300 new trainee probation officers in 2026/27 - on top of more than 2,300 new trainees already onboarded since 2024/25. We are also taking targeted action following the Independent Review of the Criminal Courts to reduce court backlogs, deliver swifter justice, and modernise our courts to improve efficiency and resilience across the criminal justice system.

This review will play a central role in our approach, providing a clear and independent assessment of the challenges we face, alongside credible and deliverable options for reform over the coming decade and beyond.

The Review will not make recommendations on sentencing policy, as this has already been subject to thorough consideration as part of the Independent Sentencing Review.

In the last 18 months we have taken decisive action to stabilise a system in crisis, and we are continuing to make immediate improvements. This review will provide a clear and independent assessment of the challenges we face, alongside credible and deliverable options for reform over the coming decade and beyond. It will help us chart the path to a prison system that works for the future one which makes prisons and the public safer.

I am grateful to the dedicated work of our brilliant staff working across our prisons and the wider criminal justice system who continue to deliver vital public services in challenging circumstances. Through this review, we will ensure that our approach is not only responsive to immediate pressures, but is also designed to deliver a more sustainable, effective and resilient prison system for the future.