Recommendation 13

The prison capacity crisis in England and Wales reflects a trend of inflating sentences and insufficient investment in the prison estate by successive governments. While population pressures are facing both England and Wales, we are concerned by reports of particular pressures in Wales as a result of higher recall rates, as well as by the fact that Wales is having to house an increasing number of out-of-area prisoners. The UK Government 67 has told us that the Sentencing Act 2026 will alleviate some of these pressures, as will its renewed focus on reducing reoffending, and we hope that it is proved correct. (Conclusion, Paragraph 51)