Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report - November 2021

Prisons

Prison population

While the overall prison population is lower than pre-pandemic levels, the number of people held on remand remains at a historic high. The changing levels across groups that are required by law to be housed separately – like those on remand – pose increasing difficulties in the management of the prison population.

In November 2021 (up until the morning of Wednesday 1st December 2021):

• the population increased by 76 to 7619
• 2213 were on remand: 1880 (25%) untried & 333 (4%) awaiting sentence
• 66% of arrivals were untried (621 of 944), and 17% awaiting sentence (161)

The remand population grew through October and November, again exceeding its previous peak. On 23 November the remand population was 2,272 – 30% – is the highest daily number on record. The increase in remand in November drove an increase in the prison population overall. The specific needs of remand prisoners means this changing population profile poses additional challenges to staff and estate.

Remand Arrival Offences

There were 677 un-sentenced arrivals to prison with known offence types in November, awaiting trial or sentence for the following alleged offences

Note: Double-counting may occur where an individual arrives, is absent from prison for one or more nights in the month, and then returns before the end of the period. Where an individual has multiple alleged offence types in a single stint, the offence towards the top of the list in the chart is used as the index offence.

Further Information:

Latest published Annual Prison Population Statistics