More than 100,000 children have a parent in prison for the first time since records began, according to analysis of government figures.
The figures have been released as Estonia’s justice minister confirmed that his officials were in talks with the UK government over plans to accept UK prisoners amid an overcrowding crisis.
Data disclosed by the Prison Advice and Care Trust (Pact) shows that the prison population stands at 87,793.
An official Ministry of Justice estimate says that each male prisoner has, on average, 1.14 children, meaning that an estimated 100,084 children have a parent in prison, the charity said.
Many children with a parent in prison go on to lead positive and fulfilling lives. However, research shows that the children of prisoners are more likely to get involved in crime, suffer from mental health problems, homelessness and poverty later in life, Pact said.
Andy Keen-Downs, Pact’s chief executive, said the government should reconsider its prison expansion programme.
“This is a grim milestone. By imprisoning record numbers of parents we are storing up a whole raft of problems, the impact of which will be felt for decades to come.
“In a rush to get ‘tough on crime’ and imprison ever greater numbers of people, ministers seem to have given little consideration to the long-lasting damage this policy will wreak on children and families,” he said.
The prison population has risen by 80% in the last three decades and has grown substantially in the last few years, returning to levels not seen for over a decade. It is projected to rise by a further 7,400 by 2024.
The average custodial sentence has increased by 57% since the Conservatives entered power in the coalition government in 2010.
A £4bn plan to build 20,000 additional prison places by the mid-2020s is not expected to be completed until 2030 because of planning delays. As of last week, only 768 places were available in jails across England and Wales.
The UK government is in discussions with other European countries to rent spare prison cells, Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, said in a speech to the Conservative party conference on Tuesday.
In a further development, Rait Kuuse, Estonia’s deputy secretary general for the ministry of justice, told reporters that his officials have held talks with the UK government over a possible “rental option”.
Kuuse told ERR News that the talks were at a preliminary stage, and would have to be approved by Estonia’s legislature.
The number of inmates in Estonia’s three prisons – with places for a maximum of 3,200 – is falling, while cell occupancy rates are already among the lowest in the EU.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “While courts already take into account the impact custody can have on dependants, we appreciate the challenges faced by the families of offenders and are improving our understanding of the number of children affected by parental imprisonment.
“This includes new screening processes to better identify offenders who have caring responsibilities and investing £20m into a cross-government data programme to improve support for people with complex needs, including those with parents in prison.”
