The document discusses the purpose and use of prisons in England and Wales. It notes that the prison population has increased 78% over the past decade and a half due to factors like increased use of custodial sentences and longer time served. However, prisons often fail to rehabilitate and a high proportion of prisoners have issues like mental health problems, drug abuse, and low education levels. The document advocates reducing prison populations through alternative sentencing and following Canada's example of justice reinvestment to lower crime rates while decreasing imprisonment.

5. Many thousands of new prison places have been built…

9. Legislation has had its part to play…

10. Do crime rates have any bearing on prison numbers?

11. Not necessarily...

12. Does prison reduce reoffending?

21. England & Wales is an outlier in Western Europe

24. A word of warning...

25. No jurisdiction has ever built its way out of overcrowding

31. Canada: a success story?