Conservatives promise 50,000 new prison places for England and Wales

Conservatives would build 50,000 extra prison places in England and Wales if they win the next election, leader Kemi Badenoch said. The party said most cells would open within five years, costing £2bn a year. The aim, it said, is to end early release and keep serious offenders locked up. Prisons are 98% full, with about 89,000 usable places.