(Bloomberg) -- Britain’s prison building program aimed at easing an overcrowding crisis will be five years late and cost almost double the original estimates, according to the spending watchdog.
The National Audit Office said that the cost of delivering 20,000 new prison places will cost at least £4.2 billion ($5.3 billion) more than planned, 80% higher than initially expected.
The delays in completing the program mean there is expected to be a shortage of more than 12,000 prison places by the end of 2027, the NAO said.
The report deals another blow to the new Labour government, which had to take drastic action to stop prisons overflowing just days after taking power in July. While an early release scheme eased the immediate overcrowding crisis, it was seen as a sticking plaster given the prison population is only expected to spiral higher in the coming years.
The prisons crisis is one of a number of politically perilous challenges inherited by Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Labour has launched a review into sentencing after a significant lengthening in custodial sentences in recent decades, though the public favor a tough approach.
First launched under the previous Tory government, the NAO said the prison building program will only be completed in 2031, five years later than planned. So far, only a third of the additional 20,000 places have been delivered and the program is expected to cost between £9.4 billion and £10.1 billion.
It said that delays getting planning permission, “unrealistic timelines,” and “insufficient understanding of program requirements” were behind the problems.
“The government must learn lessons from the current prison capacity crisis to ensure the long-term resilience and cost effectiveness of the prison estate,” said Gareth Davies, head of the NAO.
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