Prison System Faced Collapse Under Sunak’s Leadership, Reveals Damning Review

Published: 05 August ‘2025. The English Chronicle Desk

A scathing independent review has revealed that the UK prison system under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak narrowly avoided total collapse on three separate occasions due to severe overcrowding and delayed governmental response. The report, compiled by former prisons watchdog Dame Anne Owers, outlines how the system was rescued at the eleventh hour through emergency measures, while Downing Street repeatedly ignored early intervention proposals.

According to the 25-page document, the crisis escalated between autumn 2023 and summer 2024, with prisons reaching nearly 97.5% of their capacity. Despite the growing pressure, Sunak’s administration allegedly rejected urgent calls to reduce inmate numbers until the system stood on the brink of disaster. “The default position was to do as little as possible as late as possible,” the report states, emphasizing the reluctance of No 10 to take preventive action.

Owers reported that key ministers, including then-Justice Secretary Alex Chalk, had long advocated for controlled early release schemes to prevent the unfolding crisis. However, their pleas went unanswered, creating frustration and suspicion among government insiders. By mid-2023, Chalk had proposed releasing certain prisoners early under the Standard Determinate Sentence (SDS) program, but the approach was dismissed in favor of minimal reactive measures.

The report also disclosed that following the 2024 general election announcement, emergency Cobra meetings were held to consider invoking crisis powers that would permit early prisoner releases. This was seen as a last resort to avert a collapse of the justice system during the campaign period. In total, three separate emergency release schemes were enacted under Sunak’s watch, releasing over 13,000 prisoners early using provisions initially designed for compassionate circumstances.

Dame Owers further noted that senior civil servants were so alarmed by the government’s handling of the situation that they began documenting all internal decisions in anticipation of a potential public or parliamentary inquiry.

The review has ignited political backlash. Shabana Mahmood, the current Justice Secretary, condemned the Conservative government’s track record, accusing them of gross mismanagement and secrecy. “They added fewer than 500 prison cells over 14 years and allowed over 10,000 early releases without public transparency. This review lays bare a disgraceful legacy,” Mahmood stated.

One of the Labour government’s first actions after coming to power was to enact a policy allowing prisoners to be released after serving just 40% of their sentences. Meanwhile, reforms from David Gauke’s sentencing review are being implemented, potentially reducing sentences for thousands of offenders, including some convicted of violent crimes and domestic abuse.

Commenting on the findings, Andrew Neilson of the Howard League for Penal Reform remarked, “This crisis has been brewing for decades. It is not the result of a single administration but a failure across successive governments.”

As public concern mounts and officials brace for renewed pressure on the prison system, particularly amid rising political protests and unrest, the review serves as a sobering reminder of how close the country came to a systemic breakdown.