Over the past 25 years, the prison population has grown significantly from 44,246 in 1993 to 82,384 as of December 2018. Capacity has not kept pace with demand, and many prisons are now overcrowded.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic compounded some existing issues within prison systems; for example, ‘COVID-secure’ ways of working further limited ‘unlocked’ time due to the need to stagger the population and maintain appropriate social distancing measures. The cancellation of visiting times from family and friends has also impacted inmates’ mental wellbeing.