UK prison expansion plans face £4.2 billion cost overrun and five-year delay, worsening overcrowding.

The UK's prison expansion plans, aimed at adding 20,000 new prison places, will cost £4.2 billion more and be delayed by five years, according to the National Audit Office. This increase brings the total cost to between £9.4 billion and £10.1 billion. Delays and cost overruns stem from planning, design, and construction issues, as well as changes in government policy. The report warns of a projected shortage of 12,400 prison places by 2027, highlighting the ongoing overcrowding crisis in UK prisons.

December 04, 2024
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