United Kingdom
Prison Service (in progress)
Analysis provided by: Barbara Nazareth Andrade de Oliveira, Legal Expert.
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The Prison Services in the United Kingdom is basically divided between England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland the responsibility of managing the prison system lies with the Ministry of Home Affairs. In Scotland it lies with the Secretary of State and in England with the Home Secretary. It should be highlighted that these same bodies are also in charge of the police functions.
In England, there are 138 prison establishments holding around 73,000 prisoners in accordance with the information of the English prison services. English prisons are facing a period of overcrowding and as of May 2003, according to official information, English prisons were facing a capacity of 11% more than the maximum capacity of its prisons. In Scotland the population of around 6100 prisoners is divided in 15 prisons. Northern Ireland has 3 prison institutions and as of May 2003 had a prison population of about 1,150 prisoners.
The English and Scottish prison services have started the process of privatization (called
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