英国政府正在研究升级C级和女性监狱的安保等级，以应对英格兰和威尔士监狱系统日益严峻的过度拥挤危机。[1]根据计划，官员们拟将候审或服刑期较短的囚犯从B级"接待"监狱转向其他设施，包括男性培训监狱和经过改造的空置女性监狱，前提是这些设施能够提升安保措施。[1]该倡议由工党政治人物安迪·伯纳姆推动，旨在为严重罪犯腾出关键的监禁空间。[1]
英格兰和威尔士目前有30所男性接待监狱，主要关押候审和短期囚犯。[1]在约86,000名囚犯中，约一半被关押在C级监狱内。[1]候审囚犯约占英格兰和威尔士监狱总人口的五分之一，这一比例近年因法庭案件积压而有所上升。[1]
监狱官员工会主席马克·费尔赫斯特对该计划表示质疑，称："升级任何监狱的安保是一个漫长的过程，而我们没有这样的时间"。[1]此前英国政府曾在2024年探索与爱沙尼亚租用监狱牢房的计划，但该国拒绝了这一提议。[1]
The British government is investigating plans to upgrade security classifications at Category C and women's prisons as a response to severe overcrowding in the English and Welsh prison system [1]. Officials are considering transferring remand prisoners and those serving short sentences away from Category B reception prisons to alternative facilities, including male training prisons and refurbished vacant women's facilities, provided security measures are enhanced [1]. The proposal, championed by Labour politician Andy Burnham, aims to free up space for serious offenders while preventing the early release of the perpetrator of police constable Andrew Harper's death [1].
England and Wales operates approximately 30 male reception prisons, or local jails, that predominantly house remand and short-term prisoners [1]. Among the roughly 86,000 inmates across the region, approximately half are held in Category C facilities [1]. Remand prisoners account for roughly one-fifth of the total prison population in England and Wales, a proportion that has risen in recent years due to court backlogs [1]. Prison officials have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of such upgrades. Mark Fairhurst, chairman of the prison officers' union, stated: "Upgrading any prison's security is a lengthy process, and we simply do not have that time" [1].
The government's exploration of alternative solutions reflects the challenges in addressing the crisis through conventional means. Previous attempts to ease the situation included pursuing negotiations with Estonia to rent prison cells, but the Baltic nation rejected the proposal in 2024 [1].