The United Kingdom has one of the highest rates of incarceration in western Europe: on average 139 people in every 100,000 are in prison (although this is far short of the 714 per 100,000 in the United States).^[1] The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ...

There are 139 prisons in England and Wales, with 19 built since 1995. Seven prisons are private: built under the Private Finance Initiative, they are termed DCMF prisons (privately Designed, Constructed, Managed and Financed) and revert to the government after 25 years. A further two prisons are privately managed but were built with public money. The remaining prisons are operated by Her Majesty's Prison Service, an Executive Agency reporting to the Home Office. The prison population is split between local prisons, remand centres, training prisons, young offender institutes and open prisons. Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location (dark green) within the United Kingdom (light green), with the Republic of Ireland (blue) to its west Languages English Capital London Largest city London Area – Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population –mid-2004... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location relative to most of the British Isles (other parts of the UK shown on the map are in pink). ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Private Finance Initiative specifies a method, developed initially by the United Kingdom government, to provide financial support for Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) between the public and private sectors. ... Her Majestys Prison Service is the British Executive Agency reporting to the Home Office tasked with managing most of the prisons within England and Wales (Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own Prison Services). ... An Executive Agency is a British public institution that carries out some part of the executive functions of the United Kingdom government, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly and Northern Ireland Executive. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ...

Overview

As of July 2006 there are more than 78,000 people in prison in England and Wales, a near-doubling from the 42,000 in 1991; the Home Office predicts a total of 110,000 by 2010. In 2004, each prisoner cost the taxpayer an average of £38,000.^[2] 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A tax is an involuntary fee paid by individuals or businesses to a government. ... In mathematics, there are numerous methods for calculating the average or central tendency of a list of n numbers. ...

The rise in the prison population has been substantially driven by harsher sentencing. In 1995, 129 people were in prison for shoplifting; in 2005 it was 1,400. In 2001, 3,000 people were sent to prison for petty theft for a first time offence. One third of petty offenders lose their home while in custody; two-fifths lose contact with their families; two-thirds lose their jobs. Around half of all prisoners have a reading age less than an 11-year old. All this contributes to reoffending rates of 59% within two years. The number of women in prison has risen disproportionately - from 1,800 in 1994 to 4,500 in 2004. 40% of women going to prison have previously attempted suicide.^[2] In law, a sentence forms the final act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Shoplifting (also known as retail theft) is theft of merchandise for sale in a shop, store, or other retail establishment, by an ostensible patron. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Everyday instance of theft: the bike which fits on this wheel has disappeared. ... In law, an offense is a violation of the penal law. ... Look up home in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... SmartHunt Your Next Job Monster CareerBuilder Yahoo HotJobs Indeed Manpower Beyondplanet Bixee. ... Image of a woman on the Pioneer plaque sent to outer space. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal. // Events January Bill Clinton January 1 : North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of willfully ending ones own life. ...

Population figures

In 1900 there were 14,460 male prisoners, 2,980 female prisoners. In 1991 the total prison population was 42,000 and in 1992 it was 45,800. 1900 (MCM) was an exceptional common year starting on Monday. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

2002

In 2002 the average number of people in prisons in England and Wales was 70,860, up from 66,300 in 2001. In total 136,200 were received by the Prison Service. Of the prisoners averagely 12,790 were on remand, up 14% on 2001. Prisoners serving four year or longer sentences made up 48% of all sentenced prisoners. The capacity of prisons, Certified Normal Accommodation, on June 30, 2002 was 64,230. The excess over prison capacity led to the implementation of Operation Safeguard in July-December, the holding of prisoners in police station cells. The introduction of the Home Detention Curfew scheme in 2002 had only temporary effect. For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Capacity may mean one of the following: Capacity, when used with the mathematics meaning, is another word for volume Legal capacity refers to the legal ability to engage in certain acts, such as making a contract Cranial capacity is a measure of the volume of the interior of the skull... Accommodation is a theological principle linked to divine revelation within the Christian church. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

In crown courts in 2002 63% of those convicted were sent to prison (1992 45%), with an average sentence of 28 months, and 512 people were sentenced to life. In Magistrates' Courts 17% were imprisoned (1992 5%), although the average sentence was 2.5 months. The main offences of those imprisoned were violence against the person (22%) and burglary (17%). 21% of prisoners were from ethnic minorities, who form around 10% of the total population. Of prisoners released, 59% are found guilty of another offence within two years. Crown Court and County Court in Oxford. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... Bedford Magistrates Court A Magistrates Court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... In Egyptian mythology, Month is an alternate spelling for Menthu. ... Violence refers to acts of aggression and abuse which causes or intends to cause criminal injury or harm to persons, and (to a lesser extent) animals and property. ... An ethnic group is a group of people who identify with one another, or are so identified by others, on the basis of a boundary that distinguishes them from other groups. ... In sociology and in voting theory, a minority is a sub-group that is outnumbered by persons who do not belong to it. ... Guilty is a Anarcho-punk album, by the band Oi Polloi. ... In law, an offense is a violation of the penal law. ...

2003

In February 2003 the prison population stood at 72,144, of which 4,810 were serving life sentences (averaging 13 years), and there were 3,740 female prisoners. Of the prisoners 8,570 were termed young offenders. The Home Office estimates that the prison population will rise to 84,000 by 2008. The cost per prisoner is £36,000 a year. 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Life imprisonment is a term used for a particular kind of sentence of imprisonment. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In economics, business, and accounting, a cost is a price paid, or otherwise associated with, a commercial event or economic transaction. ...

2004

In December 2004 the prison population stood at 73,640, a 1% increase over twelve months, with 31,370 new receptions over the last quarter. Of the total population 11,446 were on remand - those either untried or unsentenced; 8,073 were young adults; and 4,232 were women. The number held in secure training centres, 214, was up 25%; while the number held in Local Authority secure children’s homes, 218, was down 23%. The number on Home Detention Curfew was down 11% year-on-year to 3,363. 1,039 individuals (52 women) were given life sentences, bringing the total to 5,758. Prisoners serving four year or longer sentences made up 43% of all sentenced prisoners. The capacity of prisons, Certified Normal Accommodation, was 68,718. Prison numbers were below Certified Operational Capacity (78,917) so none were held in police cells. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

2005

In February 2005 there were 75,815 people in custody, a 1% increase on February 2004.

Northern Ireland

As of December 12, 2005, the Northern Ireland Prison Service reported a prison population of 1,336, including 17 immigration detainees not convicted or charged with any offence. This represents an incarceration rate of 79 per 100,000 population, significantly lower than that in England and Wales.^[3] December 12 is the 346th day (347th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 19 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• prison reform

Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system. ...

References

1. Roy Walmsley, World Prison Population List (6th Ed), 2005
2. John Kampfner, New Statesman, 31 May 2004
3. Northern Ireland Weekly Prison Population http://www.niprisonservice.gov.uk/facts_updated.cfm

The New Statesman is a left-of-centre political weekly published in London. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ...

External links

• Prison Service homepage
• Home Office prisons page
• Nick Davies, The Guardian, June 23, 2005, "Life behind the prison looking glass"
• World Prison Population List 2005