UK’s overflowing prisons present PM Starmer with early crisis

Keir Starmer’s government faces a critical prison overcrowding issue, approaching maximum capacity due to tougher sentencing laws, causing early releases, delayed cases, and possible police cell use. Starmer calls it a failure amidst NHS strikes. New minister James Timpson supports ex-offenders. Forecast: prison population hits 100,000 by 2026, with building delays and solutions like electronic tags. The Institute for Government and Wheatley highlight high reoffending rates. EU imprisonment rates are lower; 2023 election victory and 2020-2022 sentencing changes contributed to this crisis.