过多的囚犯成了纳税人的沉重负担。据英国国家统计局统计，每年，供养囚犯国家要花费100亿英镑。而短期监禁犯人在获释后，有60%在一年内会再次犯罪。囚犯问题成了政府十分头疼的问题。
Overcrowded prisons, overstretched staff, a likely cause for a weighty bill. A new report suggested that failures to rehabilitate tens of thousands of serial criminals is costing the country up to ￡10 billion a year.The national Audit Office says that overcrowding means that despite having an average of 16 conviction seach,little is done to tackle their reoffending.Around 60,000 prisoners are jailed for less than 12 months each year- costing taxpayers ￡300 million.Mostly convicted of theft and minor violent crimes, they make up nearly one in ten prisoners in England and Wales.
The auditors praised the efforts of the National Offender Management Service - which runs prisons and probation in keeping them safe, despite overcrowding.But they warned 60 percent of short-sentenced prisoners commit another crime within a year of getting out,costing the country between ￡7 billion and ￡10 billion a year,calling now for appropriate assistance to help them to turn around their lives.The auditors have recognized challenges of reducing reoffending where inmates spend as little as 45 days inside but have said expecting progress is reasonable.