Labour quietly cuts back prison building plans to pay for higher staff costs

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1. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has cut almost £700m from its budget for building new prisons and renovating old ones to pay for extra staff and meet pay demands, it can be revealed.

   The disclosure has led to claims that Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s promise to pump more than £2bn into tackling the [prison overcrowding c](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/prisons-to-be-full-again-in-a-year-6-months-earlier-than-ministers-expected-3262642?ico=in-line_link)[r](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/prisons-to-be-full-again-in-a-year-6-months-earlier-than-ministers-expected-3262642?ico=in-line_link)[isis](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/prisons-to-be-full-again-in-a-year-6-months-earlier-than-ministers-expected-3262642?ico=in-line_link) is quietly being watered down as pressure on public finances mounts and departmental budgets are squeezed.

   According to an MoJ document seen by *The i Paper*, £300m the department earmarked for “prison expansion programmes” is now being spent on day-to-day costs relating to employees and other pressures the prison estate faces.

   An additional £395m has also been cut from the so-called “capital” spending budget chiefly dedicated to prison repairs has similarly been switched.

   In December, Mahmood announced a ten-year strategy to ease prison overcrowding, including spending £2.3bn to build four new prisons, which will create 14,000 new prison places.

   Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Conservative MP and Justice Select Committee member said quietly axing funding from investment in prisons raised questions about the Government’s strategy.

   He added: “It is deeply concerning that hundreds of millions have been stripped from the Prison Expansion Programme at a time when our justice system is under immense strain. This reallocation of capital funding to plug gaps in day-to-day spending reflects not just short-term budgeting but a lack of long-term strategic thinking.

   “Public safety and the integrity of our justice system depend on adequate prison capacity. The failure to prioritise this investment raises serious questions about the [Government’s commitment to tackling crime and reducing reoffending.](https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/budget-courts-prisons-disaster-3340006?ico=in-line_link)“

   In July, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood agreed to a five per cent pay rise for prison staff after accepting recommendations from the Independent Pay Review Body. The MoJ also faces additional costs, including paying an increased rate of employer national insurance.

2. Just release them early, what can go wrong?

3. There are over 10k foreign prisoners in our jails, how about we start deporting them to make space and massively cut costs.

4. Nope, they are not cutting back, they never intended to in the first place

5. A new prison was built in Wales but not operational as they have no staff
   – no point building a prison if you can’t staff it as more end up being run by private sector who have no interest
   In a successful prison system just a very full one

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