Category C and women’s prisons could be upgraded to ease overcrowding

Ministers in England and Wales are exploring plans to upgrade security at Category C and women’s prisons to alleviate systemic overcrowding within the national estate. The proposed measures include potential infrastructure improvements to increase capacity and functionality across these facilities.

As part of the strategy to manage the prison population, the government is also considering diverting male prisoners who are serving short sentences or are held on remand away from higher-security institutions. These initiatives are being examined as a response to the ongoing crisis regarding prison capacity.