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<p>The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) publishes monthly individual prison population and
capacity information through the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-population-statistics"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-population-statistics</a></p><p>
</p><p>As at 31 May 2019, 72 prisons operated with a population above their Certified
Normal Accommodation (CNA) but not above their operational capacity. There are no
prisons operating above their operational capacity in England and Wales. The operational
capacity of a prison is the total number of prisoners that an establishment can hold
taking into account control, security and the proper operation of the planned regime.
It is determined by the Prison Group Director on the basis of operational judgement
and experience.</p><p> </p><p>CNA, or uncrowded capacity, is the Prison Service’s
own measure of accommodation. CNA represents the good, decent standard of accommodation
that the Service aspires to provide all prisoners.</p><p> </p><p>Where the operational
capacity of a prison is higher than the CNA it will be classed as having the potential
to be 'crowded', which can mean prisoners share cells. In the financial year 2017/18,
24.2% of the prison population was being held in crowded conditions, down from 24.5%
in the previous year.</p><p> </p><p>Reducing crowding is a central aim of our modernisation
of the prison estate. Our plan for reducing prison crowding is to replace prisons
that are operating over their certified normal accommodation levels with new accommodation
that is safe, decent, and uncrowded and close current (crowded or partially crowded)
capacity. The first steps in this direction have already been taken with the opening
of 2,100 uncrowded prison places at HMP/YOI Berwyn; 206 uncrowded places in a houseblock
at Stocken; and a commitment to construct modern, decent, uncrowded prisons at the
former HMP Wellingborough and HMP Glen Parva sites, which are due to open in 2021
and 2023 respectively.</p>
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