Poll: Do we send too many people to prison in the UK?
The UK has the highest prison population in the European Union, according to a major new report. Do you think we send too many people to prison?
There were a total of 95,248 people behind bars in this country, figures published by the Council of Europe show.
Of the 50 prison administrations examined in the study, only Russia and Turkey had more inmates, with 671,027 and 151,451 respectively.
The study, which covers a period up to 2014, also claimed that only Russia spent more on its prisons system than England and Wales.
Lead researcher Professor Marcelo Aebi said of the prison population in the UK: "It is high and it is not improving. It could be reduced. Look at the length of sentences."
Shadow prisons minister Jo Stevens said: "These shocking figures reflect what we have repeatedly said to the Government; our prisons are overcrowded, understaffed and at breaking point. The social and economic cost of our prison crisis will continue to increase if we do not tackle head on the underlying failures presided over by this Government. "
