STORY
Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd has been appointed to lead an independent review into prison safety and security. The Ministry of Justice said the review would examine violence, drugs and organised crime in prisons as part of wider work to reform the estate.
Justice Secretary David Lammy said the review would support efforts to make prisons safer and better at cutting crime. The announcement comes as ministers continue to face pressure over prison capacity, rehabilitation and safety across the prison system.
The review will be watched closely by prison governors, unions and campaigners, who have warned about overcrowding, staff shortages and rising violence. Its findings are expected to influence future decisions on security, rehabilitation and how ministers manage the long-running prisons crisis.