Early Release Quick-Fix Can’t Solve British Prison Crisis

LONDON — Prime Minister Gordon Brown is facing a renewed prison population crisis despite ordering the early release of thousands of inmates from Britain’s overcrowded prisons.

The national prison population fell below 80,000 inmates in June when the government ordered H.M. Prison Service governors across Britain to grant an 18-day early release to nonviolent offenders.

However, police jail cells are again being used as an overflow stopgap for the system as the prison population edges closer to the record high of 81,000 inmates, which triggered emergency early-release measures in the first place, officials say.

More than 1,700 prisoners were freed ahead of schedule during the first week of the early release scheme. With the target of having at least 1,200 beds free, the total could reach 25,000 during the course of the year, officials say.

The prison population is increasing at a rate of almost 400 inmates per month, officials say. However, the government’s planned prison construction program is several years away from delivering additional facility capacity, officials say.

If the population increase continues, Brown and his cabinet could be forced into the politically damaging position of extending the emergency early release scheme.