Unlocked: Britain’s Prison Crisis
UK prisons face overcrowding, staff shortages and violence. Unlocked: Britain’s Prison Crisis explores how they’re kept running, often by overseas officers, at growing cost.
More than 80,000 people are held in prisons across England and Wales - but those keeping the system running are under growing strain. In Unlocked: Britain’s Prison Crisis, Bara’atu Ibrahim investigates how recruitment pressures, staff shortages and a loss of experience shape daily life inside our jails. She reveals a system increasingly reliant on staff recruited from West Africa - some of whom aren't sure whether they will be allowed to stay in the UK.
Through first-hand testimony from serving and former prison officers plus insights from unions and senior figures, Bara’atu reveals a wider picture of a service struggling to maintain safety and stability, asking not just who is keeping prison doors open - but at what cost? As staffing gaps widen and pressures intensify, what does it mean for officers, prisoners and the public when a system continues to function, but only just?
Producer and Presenter: Bara'atu Ibrahim
Executive Producer: Richard Mcllroy
Editor: Pete Wilson
On radio
Broadcasts
- Sun 31 May 202613:30BBC Radio 4
- Mon 1 Jun 202616:00BBC Radio 4
Podcast
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