PRISONS: Chronic overcrowding revealed

Six of Britain's prisons are now holding more than one and a half times the number of prisoners than they were designed to hold, according to official figures, which point to a huge imbalance, with some jails bursting at the seams while others have plenty of space.

Shrewsbury prison is revealed as the most overcrowded jail in England and Wales. With 315 prisoners instead of 176, it has 79 per cent more inmates than its certified normal accommodation level (CNA). The prisons worst affected by the rapidly escalating jail population - now at a record 60,000 - are old Victorian jails in built-up areas, said Richard Tilt, Director General of the Prison Service, in a parliamentary written answer.