Leaked internal documents show the Prison Service has drawn up plans to install second beds in hundreds of temporary one-person cells across England and Wales at the request of the Ministry of Justice. Under the proposals outlined in a 27 August email from a senior Prison Service executive, governors at 10 category C prisons have been asked to approve the crowding of steel-framed rapid deployment cells to expand the overall prison estate capacity by 476 spaces.
Prisons Targeted for Doubling Up and Capacity Pressures
According to a second leaked document, the doubling-up plans detail specific bed additions across multiple facilities. Wayland in Norfolk has been slated for 43 additional beds, Littlehey in Cambridgeshire for 60, Erlestoke in Wiltshire for 66, and Rochester in Kent for 60. Additional facilities asked to source extra capacity include The Verne in Dorset, Wymott in Lancashire, Channings Wood in Devon, Whatton in Nottingham—which holds individuals convicted of sexual offences—The Mount in Hertfordshire, and Huntercombe in Oxfordshire.
The leaked documents reveal that these proposals would breach operational capacity, driving prisoner numbers above safe occupancy thresholds. Currently, England and Wales hold 87,111 prisoners, while the Ministry of Justice’s own definition of safety and decency sets a limit of 81,616. The senior executive’s August 27 email noted that the push to maximise capacity comes amid continuous high population growth and lower-than-anticipated supply coming online.
Opposition From Governors and Prison Officers
Prison governors and officers have warned that Whitehall’s proposed numbers could breach health and safety laws, rendering jails unsafe for staff, inmates, and the public alike. Mark Fairhurst, the national chair of the Prison Officers Association, stated that capacity breaches could trigger industrial action. “By law our members cannot strike, but I know they would walk out on health and safety grounds if asked to oversee prisons which cannot cope with the numbers being proposed,” Fairhurst said.
Tom Wheatley, president of the Prison Governors Association, noted that comprehensive risk assessments must accompany any layout changes because rapid deployment cells are among the least secure accommodations in the estate. Andrea Coomber, chief executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, described the initiative as an act of desperation that threatens to undermine steel-framed pods previously praised for lower rates of violence, debt, and drug misuse.
Did You Know? The rapid deployment cells—steel-framed pods measuring roughly 2.9 metres by 3.4 metres and equipped with a bed, toilet, and shower—were originally installed across more than 15 prison grounds with an estimated 15-year lifespan as a short-term fix for past overcrowding.
Government Response and Wider Context
The disclosures emerged just three days before Andy Burnham announced a substantial narrowing of eligibility for the government’s early release scheme, blocking hundreds of violent criminals from being freed. Responding to the leaks, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson defended departmental efforts, noting an investment of up to £4.7bn to create 14,000 new prison places. “As the public would expect, we’re pulling every lever available to ensure there is always space to lock up dangerous offenders,” the spokesperson said, adding that cells are only doubled up where safe and that no final decisions have been made.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are rapid deployment cells?
They are temporary, steel-framed prefabricated pods measuring approximately 2.9 metres by 3.4 metres that contain a bed, toilet, and shower. They were originally placed in the grounds of more than 15 prisons as a temporary solution to past overcrowding.
How many extra spaces would the doubling-up plan create?
According to leaked emails, the proposed installation of second beds in ground-floor rapid deployment cells would increase the overall capacity of the prison estate by 476.
What do the unions and reform groups say about the plans?
The Prison Officers Association warned that members could walk out on health and safety grounds, the Prison Governors Association called for individual risk assessments, and the Howard League for Penal Reform labeled the move an act of desperation.
How will the Ministry of Justice balance prison population growth with staff safety as these capacity plans move forward?
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