“Keeping Criminals Behind Bars” - Reform's Plan

Reform UK has put forward a clear, tough plan for Britain’s prisons. They say the current system is broken: prisons are full, serious criminals are sometimes let out early, and too many foreign offenders take up space that should be used for British public safety.

The problem they want to fix:

• UK prisons are overcrowded.

• To free up space, the current government has used early-release schemes. Some prisoners (including people convicted of serious violence) can get out before finishing their full sentence.

• There are more than 10,000 foreign nationals in British jails.

• Over the years, not enough new prison places have been built.

Reform UK argues this creates a “revolving door” that puts the public at risk. Their goal is simple: serious criminals should stay locked up for the full time the court ordered, and prisons should never run out of space again.

The Three Main Parts of the Plan 1.

No more early release for the worst crimes

They will change the law so that anyone convicted of:

• Murder

• Manslaughter

• Rape

• Serious violence

• (and similar serious offences)

must serve their full sentence. No automatic early release. The time the judge hands down is the time they actually serve.

This would also apply to people who were sentenced under the current early-release rules, so some of those already due for early release would stay inside.

Plan 2. Deport all foreign national prisoners  

• Every foreign national currently in a British prison will be removed.

• If their home country agrees to take them back, they finish their sentence there.

• If the home country refuses, Reform says Britain will rent prison places in third countries such as El Salvador or Kosovo and send the offenders there to complete their sentences.

• After they finish their time, they will be banned from returning to the UK for life.

This would free up roughly 10,000 prison places almost immediately.

Plan 3. Build new “Nightingale” prisons quickly

Inspired by the temporary Nightingale hospitals built during COVID, Reform wants to construct modular, high-security prisons using pre-fabricated buildings.

• Location: Ministry of Defence land

• Help from: the British Army

• Target: around 12,400 new places

• Time: within 18 months of taking power

Combined with the space freed by deporting foreign prisoners, they say this would create about 22,000 extra places in total.

Extra Changes They Want

• Bring back short prison sentences (under 12 months) for crimes such as theft and shoplifting (these have been reduced in recent years).

• Stop the automatic preference for suspended sentences (where someone is convicted but does not go to prison straight away).

• Use the new space so more people who commit everyday crimes (burglary, phone theft, etc.) actually go to jail instead of walking free.

The Big Picture Reform’s message is straightforward:

“Serious criminals belong behind bars – and we will make sure there is always enough space to keep them there.”They plan to pay for the overseas prison places partly with the money saved by not housing those foreign offenders in expensive UK jails. The new Nightingale prisons are designed to be cheaper and faster to build than traditional ones.

This is Reform UK’s official prisons policy as announced in August 2026 by their Home Affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf (with support from party leader Nigel Farage). It is presented as a practical way to end early releases and restore public confidence in the justice system.