The punishment doesn’t fit the crime in Britain. That’s why our jails are overflowing | Samira Shackle

The UK ’s prison population is at record levels; it has almost doubled in the past 30 years .

England and Wales have the highest per capita prison population in western Europe .

In 2023 , the average custodial sentence given at crown court was 25% longer than in 2012 .

Prison system already swollen by years of successive sentencing increases was not in a position to accommodate new crises.

This is a way to ease pressure on prison spaces, but it might also prove effective.

Offenders given noncustodial sentences have lower levels of recidivism, perhaps because it is easier to access support and rehabilitation outside prison than inside.

If we actually want to reduce crime, we might shift from looking at the length of sentences to what people are doing while serving them.