12,338 Prisoners Recalled in England and Wales Amid Capacity Crisis

Between the start of April and the end of June, 12,338 individuals were sent back to prison in England and Wales. During that same three-month period, only 12,278 prisoners were released. This data, released by the Ministry of Justice on Thursday, marks a continuation of a pattern established in the previous quarter, when 13,193 people were recalled against 12,977 releases.

The high volume of returns to custody is a primary driver of the current prison capacity crisis. In total, 52,716 inmates were recalled in the 12-month period ending in June. This figure represents a 27% increase compared to the previous year. These statistics helped prompt the government to implement early release schemes in September.

Under emergency measures active from September 2024 to June 2026, 79,274 inmates received early release. The scheme, known as SDS40, reduced the mandatory time served for certain sentences from 50% to 40%. The Ministry of Justice stated that these policy changes likely contributed to the rise in recalls, as many offenders are now subject to fixed-term recalls of 56 days rather than being held until the end of their sentence. The emergency measures were replaced by a permanent scheme under the Sentencing Act 2026 on October 1.

Rob Preece, head of communications at the Howard League for Penal Reform, described the situation as a severe strain on the system. He noted that chronic overcrowding, staff shortages, and poor conditions make effective rehabilitation nearly impossible. Preece stated that imposing longer sentences has led to the crisis, but the high recall rate is making the problem worse. The Howard League called on the government to find a lasting solution to the overcrowding issue.

Pressure on the prison system has coincided with high rates of self-harm and violence. In the 12 months to the end of September 2026, 360 prisoners died in custody. Of these, 66 deaths were recorded as self-inflicted. Prisons recorded 68,231 self-harm incidents in the 12 months to the end of June 2026. This equates to one incident every eight minutes. Self-harm incidents dropped by 12% in men’s prisons and 3.8% in women’s prisons over that period.

A separate dataset on multi-agency public protection arrangements showed that the number of serious offenders on probation charged with a further serious offense rose for the third consecutive year. In the reported period, 281 serious offenders were charged. This group included 119 registered sexual offenders, 128 murderers, and four individuals who were terrorists or posed a terror risk. The Ministry of Justice maintained that it is vital for those who break license rules to be returned to prison.