- Eleven prisoners have died in British prison cell fires, including Clare Dupree, due to a lack of legally required automatic fire detection systems (AFDs) in overcrowded facilities.
- The Ministry of Justice has abandoned its commitment to make all prison cells fire-safe by 2027, citing the overcrowding crisis as the reason for not taking non-compliant cells out of use.
- Over 21,000 prison places in England and Wales still lack basic fire safety measures, with cell fires increasing by 124 per cent over the last five years to an average of eight per day.
- The government's decision has been labelled a "national scandal" by organisations like the Howard League for Penal Reform and cross-party MPs, who warn of further tragic deaths for both prisoners and staff.
- Despite repeated warnings and enforcement notices from the fire safety regulator, and some prisons being classified as highly unsafe, no new deadline has been set for essential fire safety upgrades.
IN FULL
‘National scandal’ as ministers U-turn on lifesaving fire safety plans for overcrowded prisons
