The state of prisons in England and Wales – in numbers

There were 87,685 prisoners across the male and female estates last week, 7.5% higher than in the same week last year. Composite: Guardian Design/Corbis/Getty Images

A prisoner escape, widespread overcrowding and the refusal of a German court to extradite a man to the UK because of concerns about jail conditions in Britain have all put the focus back on the creaking prison system.

But the state of the prison system in England and Wales has been a problem for years, with inmate numbers rising while funding and staffing are on the decline.