The prison population in England and Wales is now projected to reach 100,000 a year later than previously thought, new Ministry of Justice figures (MoJ) show.

The estimates published on Thursday project the rise in the number of prisoners in jails will reach between 98,000 and 103,6000 by March 2030, with a central estimate of 100,600.

The Ministry of Justice said the suggested increase was driven by several factors including a continued rise in police charges and prosecutions, more cases coming to court and increases in the numbers of offenders recalled to custody.

But the department also found the prison population was projected to be around 2,400 lower than previously thought by September 2028 following the central estimate, compared to last year’s publication.

Last year, the

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