Reform UK Proposes Foreign Prisoner Deportation and New 'Nightingale' Jails to End Early Releases

Reform UK has outlined a strategy to address England and Wales's prison overcrowding crisis, which includes the deportation of all foreign national offenders and the rapid construction of new 'Nightingale' prisons. The party contends that such measures are essential to end the practice of early release, which saw 8,000 prisoners freed up to 70 days ahead of schedule in 2023.

The party's analysis suggests that foreign nationals constitute approximately 10,000 of the 87,000 individuals currently incarcerated. Their proposal mandates that these individuals serve their sentences in their home countries, thereby creating immediate capacity within the UK system.

Reform UK also advocates for a substantial prison building programme, utilising pre-fabricated modular designs to construct 'Nightingale' prisons on publicly owned land within six months. This rapid expansion, they argue, would provide additional accommodation without the delays associated with conventional prison construction.

Lee Anderson, a prominent figure within Reform UK, criticised the current government, stating, "This is a mess of the government’s making." He further asserted, "We can bring this to an end almost immediately if we just do some simple things." The party claims its proposals could generate an additional 12,000 prison places within a year.