Nearly 1,800 prison cells across England and Wales remain empty due to fire safety concerns, complicating efforts to address prison overcrowding and calls for tightening early release policies.
The Ministry of Justice has been undertaking a nationwide programme to install automatic fire detection (AFD) systems in all prison cells, as part of a longstanding commitment to meet fire safety standards by 2027. As a result, a rolling schedule of fire safety work has led to the decommissioning of about 1,800 cells at any given time while upgrades are carried out. Despite these efforts, approximately 19,000 prison places—around one-fifth of total capacity—still require fire safety improvements.
These vacancies have emerged amid growing pressure from government officials, including Prime Minister Andy Burnham, to identify spare capacity within the prison system. Burnham has vowed to prevent the early release of certain offenders, notably blocking the early release of some rapists and child groomers, and has faced demands to halt the release of two individuals convicted in the killing of PC Andrew Harper. Police chiefs across the UK have collectively called on the Prime Minister to do everything possible to ensure the killers remain behind bars.
However, ministers have been cautioned that expanding exemptions to the early release scheme without adding new prison places could exacerbate capacity issues. The empty cells currently withheld from use due to fire safety work might represent potential space, but their availability until upgrades are complete is limited.
Mark Fairhurst, chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, indicated that some prisons may defer fire safety work and reintroduce certain cells to relieve pressure, although safety concerns remain paramount. “They have that option. The issue is the safety of the person occupying that cell that has been identified as an imminent fire risk,” he noted.
Government officials acknowledged earlier this year that the 2027 target for full compliance with fire safety regulations will not be met. While the aim remains to install AFD in 10,000 cells by the end of 2027, no timeline has been provided for completing the full programme. A source within the prison service suggested that some vital fire safety work might be postponed due to operational pressures.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson emphasised the importance of the ongoing works, stating: “We are carrying out these essential fire safety works as quickly as possible. This is part of our plan to ensure that the country never runs out of prison space again.”
The tension between addressing fire safety obligations and managing prison capacity highlights ongoing challenges within the England and Wales prison system, particularly as policy makers seek to balance offender management with operational safety.