BBC NEWS | UK | UK prisons now 'over-capacity'

SOURCE: http://news.bbc.co.uk/
UK prisons now 'over-capacity'
 
Prison officers accuse ministers of "total mismanagement"

Prisons in England and Wales have exceeded their normal capacity for the first time, officials have confirmed.
The Ministry of Justice said that as of Friday morning there were 82,068 inmates in jails - 96 over the Prison Service's normal operational capacity.

Justice Secretary Jack Straw has asked magistrates to jail fewer people while officials attempt to manage the crisis.

Some 358 inmates are in police or court cells in an attempt to ease pressures.

According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice the population breached its current capacity of 81,972 on Thursday evening.

The breach comes despite a year of efforts to reduce pressures by releasing more prisoners and building more cells.