The number of criminals sent to jail in England and Wales hit a six-year high in 2024, driven partly by the disorder in towns and cities following the Southport killings, in fresh evidence of pressures facing prisons.
Some 79,812 offenders received immediate custodial sentences last year, up 11% on 2023 and the highest annual total since 2018 when 81,670 defendants were jailed, according to new figures from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
