英国政府提议改建女性监狱缓解男性监狱超员

英国政府官员提议将女性监狱部分设施改建为男性监狱牢房，以应对男性监狱系统的严重超员问题。1监狱部长凯瑟琳·麦金内尔将在未来数月内研究这一改建方案的可行性。1目前男性监狱以98%的产能运营，1而女性囚犯仅占英国监狱总人口不足5%，设有12所专门设施。1

为进一步缓解压力，约4500名囚犯将从10月起分10期提前释放。1不过与最初的释放计划相比，这一数字减少了1500人。1所有形式的过失杀人罪犯、强奸犯、儿童性虐待者和诱骗者都被排除在早期释放之外。1

受害者部长亚历克斯·戴维斯-琼斯表示，大多数女性监狱囚犯"不一定应该在监狱里"，他们可以"通过妇女中心在社区中得到适当管理"。1不过，改革倡导者对这一做法提出了警告。监狱改革信托首席执行官皮亚·辛哈指出，决策必须"认识到"女性囚犯的复杂需求，而不是将女性监狱简单地视为解决男性监狱超员的手段。1

UK government officials have proposed converting portions of the female prison estate into cells for men as a means of addressing overcrowding in male prisons 1. Prison Minister Catherine McKinnell will examine the feasibility of such conversions over the coming months 1.

The proposal comes as the government moves to ease pressure on the male prison system, which is currently operating at 98% capacity 1. Approximately 4,500 prisoners are scheduled for early release beginning in October, to be released in ten batches, though this represents a reduction of 1,500 from the original plan 1. The early release scheme will exclude all prisoners convicted of manslaughter, rape, child sexual abuse, and grooming offences 1.

Victims Minister Alex Davies-Jones stated that most female prison inmates "do not necessarily need to be in prison" and could instead "be properly managed in the community through women's centres" 1. However, reform advocates have expressed concern about the approach. Pia Sinha, chief executive of the Prison Reform Trust, warned that policymakers must "recognize" the complex needs of female prisoners rather than treating the female prison estate as a solution to male prison overcrowding 1. Women comprise less than 5% of the UK's total prison population and are held across twelve dedicated facilities 1.