Prison Service plans to double-up inmates in prefab 'pods' to ease overcrowding crisis, leaked documents show

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 08:04 EDT, 17 September 2026 | Updated: 08:04 EDT, 17 September 2026 Prison bosses have drawn up plans to place two inmates in pre-fabricated cells built for one, prompting security concerns.Governors at ten medium-security jails have been ordered to draw up plans to put a second bed into temporary buildings being used as additional cells, leaked documents show.The scheme is designed to create 476 extra prison spaces, following a series of U-turns over Labour’s plan to release criminals early.Prison officers’ leaders warned the plan to ‘double up’ inmates in so-called ‘rapid deployment cells’ (RDCs) could lead to staff walking out over health and safety concerns.The Prison Governors’ Association (PGA) also suggested that a failure to properly risk assess the proposals could affect safety and security in the affected jails.RDCs are pre-fabricated 'pods' which can be stacked up to two storeys high within a prison’s perimeter wall. Each single cell includes a bed, lavatory and shower.An email sent last month by a Prison Service executive to governors said: ‘As you are aware, maximising available prison capacity is of high ministerial interest, and HMPPS [His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service] have been asked to explore the viability of crowding RDC accommodation.‘The physical viability of installing a second bed in these units has been worked through at pace, and the assessment is that ground floor units only are suitable to install a second bed.' Rapid deployment cells were first installed at HMP Norwich in 2023 and are being rolled out to other jails to boost capacityThe leaked email, reported by the Guardian, went on: ‘Given continued high population growth, and less supply coming online than anticipated, it is important that all potential capacity is identified quickly, and as such the panels need to take place over the next few days.’Another document indicated the proposals would put the number of inmates above safe occupancy levels, breaching jails’ ‘operational capacity’ limits.National chairman of the Prison Officers' Association, Mark Fairhurst, said: ‘By law our members cannot strike, but I know they would walkout on health and safety grounds if asked to oversee prisons which cannot cope with the numbers being proposed.‘Creating more space increases the pressure on an already overcrowded prison estate and risks the stability of prisons.’PGA president Tom Wheatley said: ‘RDCs are amongst the least secure accommodation in the prison estate and prisoners located in them will have to be risk assessed.‘If you don't do this the prison won't be sufficiently safe or secure.’A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: ‘As the public would expect, we're pulling every lever available to ensure there is always space to lock up dangerous offenders.‘Cells are only doubled up where it is safe to do so, and no final decision has been taken on these units.’