A MERSEYSIDE prison has been named and shamed as the most overcrowded in the country.
According to official figures from the Ministry of Justice, HMP Kennet, in Maghull, is running at 193% capacity – holding nearly double the amount of inmates it was designed for.
Also in the top 10 was the privately-run HMP Altcourse, which was 64% over capacity.
The Howard League for Penal Reform is a big campaigner against packed prisons.
Director Frances Crook said: “Overcrowding results in fewer resources being available for each individual prisoner, and it results in a higher amount of prisoners per prison guard.
“Short-term gimmicks do not work in the long term and do not keep society safe.”
Kennet’s 350 places opened two years ago, designed to ease the prison population crisis.
A Prison Service spokeswoman said: “The Government provided 1,750 additional prison places in 2009.
“Since April, 2007, over 7,500 places have been delivered under the capacity programme.”
