# UK prisons are full. How do other countries deal with overcrowding?

https://mins.news/en/video/13336

- BBC News, 2026-08-04 19:45 UTC
- Society
- Original: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDUaDFfMJ58

> The UK’s prisons currently hold about 86,500 people, with roughly 2,400 spaces still available. Overcrowding has created disruption across both prisons and the courts. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has altered the planned early-release scheme in England and Wales, excluding rapists and certain other offenders. The pressure is prompting questions about whether the UK can draw useful ideas from how other countries manage crowded prison systems.

## Related coverage

- [Is the UK prison overcrowding crisis Andy Burnham’s first major challenge?](https://mins.news/en/video/14141) — BBC News, 2026-08-05