PRISON places in England and Wales must rise by a staggering 43,000 to keep Brits safe, ministers were told last night.
A report from the Policy Exchange think tank says a 48 per cent boost in capacity is the only way to tackle the chronic overcrowding crisis.
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The study proposes a £6.5bn cash injection over the next decade to expand prison spaces and refurbish crumbling Victorian-era jails to meet modern standards.
Former prison bosses hit back at claims Britain is “addicted to punishment,” insisting the real problem is that too few offenders are being banged up.
They also call for an end to automatic early release, replacing it with an “earned early release” scheme where lags must prove good behaviour and engage in rehabilitation to get out early.
New prisons, the report argues, should be kitted out with facilities for full-time education, work and gyms to get criminals ready for life on the outside.
Ex-HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Peter Clarke warned: “The reality is that there is no realistic alternative to increasing the capacity of our prisons.
“Not to do so would amount to an acceptance that the protection of the public is no longer the highest priority – an obviously untenable position for any Government.”
The prison population has doubled in the past 30 years with 87,000 people behind bars.
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