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Staff shortages leave cells empty at four English prisons, MoJ figures show
Hundreds of prison places are unused for lack of staff while the Government releases 4,500 prisoners early to ease the capacity crisis.
Howard League for Penal Reform
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Most joint enterprise homicide defendants were under 25, CPS figures show
The Crown Prosecution Service’s second annual report on joint enterprise homicide cases shows almost one in five defendants were children, while a fifth had no recorded ethnicity.
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Children in custody fear violence and few would report bullying, inspectors find
A review by HM Inspectorate of Prisons found outcomes remained unacceptable in most youth custody establishments, with Parc YOI the notable exception.
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Minister says parents of young offenders could face prison in extreme cases
Youth Justice Minister Jake Richards said stronger Parenting Orders could carry custodial sentences or benefit cuts, but campaigners warned that jailing parents would not help children.
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Leaked emails show Prison Service plan to put second beds in temporary ‘pod’ cells
Governors at ten category C prisons have been asked to approve second beds in Rapid Deployment Cells, a move unions and campaigners warn could undermine safety.
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Penal reform charities criticise plan to turn prison offices into cells
The Howard League and the Prison Reform Trust say the Government's changes to the Sentencing Act 2026 treat the symptoms of the prison crisis rather than its causes.
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Prison laundries may become cells as ministers narrow early release plans
The Government has excluded unlawful killing and historic child sex offences from Sentencing Act release changes, cutting the number due for early release from up to 6,000 to about 4,600.
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PAVA spray trial in young offender institutions extended to August 2027
Staff in the three young offender institutions in England can carry PAVA spray for a further year. The Howard League for Penal Reform called the decision disappointing.
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Tasers drawn five times but never fired in first nine months of prison trial
Specialist officers at four prisons in England drew the stun-guns between July 2025 and April 2026, and twice aimed them at prisoners as a warning.
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Deaths and self-harm in prisons fall, but homicide rate stays high
Ministry of Justice figures show deaths in prisons in England and Wales fell by 10 per cent in the year to June 2026, while homicides remained close to a record level.