Government fast-tracks £110m to convert prison spaces and add cells

The government announced it is reallocating £110m from existing budgets to convert unused prison spaces into cells across England and Wales, aiming to relieve overcrowding, the Ministry of Justice said on Monday.

Officials said the funding will speed up construction of hundreds of new prison places by repurposing existing areas such as offices, laundries and storage rooms. The announcement forms part of the broader 2025 spending review allocations, which include a previously announced £7bn capital investment to create 14,000 prison places by 2031.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Alex Norris stated the move will deliver additional places more quickly and reiterated that more than 3,200 prison places have been delivered in the past two years. The £110m is not new money but has been fast-tracked from previously announced budgets, the Ministry of Justice said.

The Lord Chancellor will update Parliament with changes to sentencing reforms designed to block more dangerous offenders from early release. Measures described by the government include speeding up the removal of foreign national offenders and ending Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences while balancing fairness and public safety.

The MoJ said an extra £18.9m will be reprioritised from existing budgets to fund specialist emotional and practical services for victims, adding to £550m already allocated for victim support. The department also announced a signed contract to build a new jail in Lancashire with capacity for 1,700 inmates.

Opposition figures criticised the plan, noting there are fewer prison places than a year ago and warning about potential early releases under the government’s overcrowding measures. The government said it will exclude rapists, those convicted of serious child sexual offences and grooming, and manslaughter convictions from early release. Around 4,500 prisoners were expected to start being released in tranches from October, though exclusion criteria have since been expanded.

Liberal News Analysis: What Does This Development Mean?

The announcement reiterates the government’s existing capital plans and repurposes previously allocated funds to accelerate delivery of places. The measures combine immediate capacity relief through conversions with longer-term construction funded by the 2025 spending review. The government framed the actions as both a response to overcrowding and part of sentencing and deportation changes announced to Parliament.

Quick Glance: What You Need to Know

• £110m reallocated from existing budgets to convert unused prison spaces into cells.
• Conversion targets include hundreds of new places; broader plan includes £7bn to create 14,000 places by 2031.
• Additional £18.9m reprioritised for victim services, plus a contract signed for a 1,700‑place jail in Lancashire.