WALES has the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe, according to research by Cardiff University’s Wales Governance Centre.

A new report published today (January 16) provides a detailed statistical comparison of sentencing and immediate custody figures in Wales and England.

It is widely accepted that England and Wales jointly has the highest imprisonment rate in Western Europe. But this is the first time the figures for each country have been analysed separately.

The research found a higher proportion of Wales’ overall population was serving time in prison than England for every year since 2013, when data became available.

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In 2017, there were 154 Welsh prisoners per 100,000 of the Welsh population. This compared to a rate of 141 English prisoners per 100,000 of the population of England.

Dr Robert Jones of the Wales Governance Centre, said: “These figures enable the authorities and elected members to analyse and scrutinise Wales as a unit within the criminal justice system, when it comes to sentencing and custody rates.”

Reacting to the report, deputy minister and chief whip Jane Hutt AM said: "The findings will assist us in establishing a clearer picture of sentencing and custody in Wales which will influence our future work around offending.

"The report highlights the differences in sentencing between Wales and England and the importance of having Wales-specific data so we can understand better the operation of justice policy and practice."

She added: "While justice remains a non-devolved function, work is underway with a range of partners to make sure we collectively provide the best possible solutions for offenders in Wales."