More than 1,000 prisoners at HMP Northumberland – as measures to tackle prison overcrowding face limitations

Ministry of Justice figures show there were 1,226 prisoners at Northumberland prison at the end of March – broadly in line with a year earlier.

Meanwhile, there were 87,919 prisoners in England and Wales at the end of March – in line with a year earlier, but up 3% from December 2024.

Although 15,730 people were released from prison between October and December last year, up 23% on the previous year, some 10,401 people were recalled to prison across the same period – up 45% on the previous year.

The Ministry of Justice said measures aimed at tackling prison overcrowding, including early releases, and the expansion of the Home Detention Curfew, likely contributed to the growing recalled population.

Andrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "Prisons have been asked to do too much, with too little, for too long, and these prison population figures show that even the early release of thousands of people has not been able to solve this problem for good."

He said more than half of prisons in England and Wales are overcrowded, adding "the situation is unsustainable".

He warned: "It could not be clearer that further action is necessary.

"We must send fewer people to prison, curb the use of recall after release, and prioritise delivering an effective and responsive probation service that works to cut crime in the community."

Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, said: "A key driver of this crisis is the rising number of people being recalled to custody, trapping individuals in the criminal justice system rather than supporting their rehabilitation."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said it 'would not hesitate' to recall offenders who break the rules or cannot be managed in the community.

"However, the number of recalled offenders in prison has doubled since 2018, contributing to the prisons crisis this government inherited," they added.

"That is why we have reformed the recall and re-release process while retaining important safeguards to keep the public safe."