PRT comment: Independent review of prison capacity

Commenting on findings of the Independent Review of Prison Capacity, published today (Tuesday 5 August), Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said:

“This welcome report from Dame Anne Owers doesn’t pull any punches. It lays bare the systemic failures behind repeated prison capacity crises, with devastating consequences for victims, prisoners, staff, and the wider justice system. It highlights the urgent need to shift from reactive crisis management to long-term, strategic planning that prioritises rehabilitation and effective community-based alternatives — as recommended by the Independent Sentencing Review.

“Yet even if these measures succeed, prisons will remain under severe pressure in the short term as the population continues to rise. Repairing the damage of recent decades will require sustained focus, investment, and political will to rebuild prison and probation services so they can operate safely and effectively.

“The review’s call for a 10-year strategy to restore capacity in probation and community services is a vital step, recognising their critical role in reducing pressure on prisons.

“This report must be a wake-up call. We cannot afford to indulge in the fantasy that building more prisons will solve this crisis — history shows it won’t. Instead, we must confront the reality: reversing the long-term rise in sentence lengths and investing in rehabilitation are the only sustainable ways forward.”