"Limited capacity" in UK prisons sees inmates costing Jersey over £80,000 - Jersey Evening Post
by Christie Bailey · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
“Limited capacity” in UK prisons sees inmates costing Jersey over £80,000
by Christie Bailey 14 July 202613 July 2026
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TWELVE prisoners at HMP La Moye are waiting to be transferred to UK prisons – costing the Island more than £80,000 each a year to keep them in Jersey while they await approval.
Home Affairs Minister Helen Miles said 10 prisoners are currently seeking moves to prisons in England and Wales, with two applying to transfer to Scotland.
The average waiting time for transfer is approximately 10.3 months. According to Senator Miles, all of those currently awaiting transfer requested the move “for rehabilitation reasons to be closer to home to maintain family contact, and to access support networks”.
The government estimates it costs £84,000 a year to accommodate these prisoners, while the average cost of transferring an inmate to the UK is £1,603, based on six transfers completed this year.
Jersey covers the travel costs for prisoners and escorting staff, but under the current agreement with His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, the UK assumes responsibility for the cost of imprisonment once an unrestricted prisoner has been transferred.
The minister said the waiting list was not the result of delays in Jersey’s transfer process but reflected “the limited capacity within the England and Wales prison estate to accept transferred prisoners”. Approval from the UK authorities is also required before transfers can take place.
While acknowledging that lengthy waits “may have implications for prisoner welfare, rehabilitation opportunities and family contact”, Senator Miles said “the extent of any impact cannot be reliably measured” and added that no evidence was held demonstrating a measurable effect on prison capacity, welfare, rehabilitation outcomes or family contact.
She added that prisoners at La Moye continue to have access to letters, telephone calls and visits, with extra back-to-back visits available for families travelling from the UK.
The minister added that the main concern raised by prisoners and their families was the cost of travelling to Jersey and paying for accommodation while visiting.
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