UK top of EU league for prison population

THE UK has the highest jail population in the European Union with almost 100,000 people locked up, according to a report yesterday.

Figures from 2016 showed 94,291 people in jail or immigration detention.

Only Turkey had more, with 192,627, the analysis published by the Council of Europe showed.

There were 85,134 inmates and detainees in England and Wales at the end of June 2016, while Northern Ireland and Scotland had 1,500 and 7,657 respectively in September of that year.

This compared with 68,514 in France, 64,397 in Germany, 54,195 in Italy and 60,687 in Spain.

England and Wales had a prison population rate of 146.4 inmates per 100,000 inhabitants, higher than the Europewide average of 127.2.

Life

England and Wales had one of the highest numbers of prisoners serving life, with 7,361, according to the Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics (Space) study.

University of Lausanne criminologist Professor Marcelo Aebi said: “England and Wales have had the highest prison population rate almost systematically since I took care of Space in 2002.”

The number in England and Wales has almost doubled between 1993 and 2016.

The latest Ministry of Justice figures show 83,921 people are currently locked up – down by 1,580 compared with a year ago.