Part 7/14:

The statistics are grim: roughly 10% of offenders are responsible for about half of all crimes, with some individuals committing hundreds of offenses over decades. Yet, prison capacity is insufficient—current infrastructure supports only about 83,000 prisoners, while estimates suggest at least 150,000 are needed to make a meaningful impact on crime reduction.

Lack of prison space leads to shorter sentences, repeated releases, and a cycle of reoffending. The ideological opposition to longer sentences, combined with inadequate prison construction and political hesitation, perpetuates the problem. Norway’s model of humane, well-equipped prisons shows that rehabilitation works, yet the UK’s approach still leans toward softness, with some facilities criticized for inhumane conditions.