More prisoners in England and Wales are recalled than released for first time

Returns for breaches of licence conditions rose 31% in the first quarter of 2026, adding to pressure on prison places More people were recalled to prison than were released during the first three months of 2026, the first time on record the “recall rate” has surpassed 100% in England and Wales. Between January and March 2026, 12,977 people were released from prison while 13,193 people were returned to prison for breaching their licence conditions, up 31% from last year, new Ministry of Justice (MoJ) data showed. This means that for every 100 people released, 101 people were recalled to custody, creating a “recall rate” of over 100%. This rate has increased rapidly from about 30% a decade ago. Between January and March 2016, 17,923 people were released and 5,185 were recalled, meaning about 30 people were recalled for every 100 prisoners released. Prisons in England and Wales are close to capacity, and the government has recently paused its plans to release about 6,000 prisoners early to ease the crisis. Andy Keen-Downs, the chief executive of the Prison Advice and Care Trust, said: “The prison population crisis will not be solved if as many people are being sent back to prison as a