Numbers of people on remand awaiting trial reaches highest level in 50 years, damning report finds
A general view of B-wing at Wakefield Prison, West Yorkshire
Focus on equal access to assisted death rather than risks of legalisation for oppressed groups wrongheaded, MPs and campaigners say
THE number of people in prison awaiting trial in England and Wales has reached its highest level in 50 years, a damning report by MPs has found.
The Commons justice committee said the rise was being fuelled by a backlog in the courts as well as a lack of community provisions to support vulnerable groups such as drug addicts and rough sleepers.
In its report published today, the committee warned that many remand prisoners are also being held for longer than the statutory six-month limit, with 770 prisoners kept behind bars for over two years while awaiting trial.
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