Jails could run out of space within months as ministers wait for the ‘uncertain’ results of a sentencing review, MPs have warned.

The Commons’ cross-party Public Accounts Committee called for ‘rapid action’ to prevent prisons in England and Wales reaching breaking point.

Despite Labour letting thousands of criminals out of jail early, official forecasts say the prisons are likely to be full again by early next year, a report by the committee noted.

It said the Ministry of Justice was pinning its hopes on a sentencing review launched by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, which will set out how Labour will send fewer criminals to jail.

Today’s report warned the Prison Service is ‘entirely reliant on uncertain future demand reduction measures, which it hopes will come from the independent sentencing review, to prevent it from running out of places’.

The document added: ‘It is also assuming it can introduce any required legislative changes very quickly.’

In addition, the Government’s plan to build another 14,000 prison places by 2031 is ‘still fraught with risk and uncertainty’, it added.

The report said the Ministry of Justice was pinning its hopes on a sentencing review launched by Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood (pictured)

 

Jails could run out of space within months as ministers wait for the ‘uncertain’ results of a sentencing review, MPs warn (file image)

Committee chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said: ‘We find a department grappling with the fallout of problems it should have predicted, while awaiting the judgment of an external review before taking any truly radical corrective action.

‘Lives are being put at increasing risk by the Government’s historic failures to increase capacity.

‘Despite the recent emergency release of thousands of prisoners, the system still faces total gridlock in a matter of months.

‘It is now for the Government to act on the recommendations in our report if disaster is to be averted.’

The committee said the Government should set out how it will improve the situation in prisons, and ‘assure themselves and Parliament that their plans are now realistic’.