More than one million additional days have been tacked on to prisoners’ sentences since 2010, new data analysis shows.

The imposition of the additional days – equal to nearly 3,000 years – is a “desperate and counter-productive attempt to keep control” in overcrowded and under-staffed prisons, according to a penal reform charity.

From September: Prison guard Kim Simons suing Government after confrontation at HMP Downview 'left her life in ruins'

The Howard League for Penal Reform found that more than 22,000 days – or 62 years – were added on to sentences being served in London prisons last year, and that prison stints in the south east were extended by more than 33,000 days (91 years) in 2015.

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They published their analysis in the report, released today, A Million Days: The world of prison discipline.

The report also stated that:

  • In HMP Belmarsh, 229 additional days were given in 2014. In the same prison 240 additional days were given in 2015.
  • In HMP High Down, 354 additional days were given in 2014. In the same prison 1,036 additional days were given in 2015.
  • In HMP Isis, 3,629 additional days were given in 2014. In the same prison 2,346 additional days were given in 2015.
  • In HMP Wandsworth, 3,525 additional days were given in 2014. In the same prison 4,761 additional days were given in 2015.
  • In HMP Thameside, 63 additional days were given in 2014. In the same prison 432 additional days were given in 2015.

Allegations of rule-breaking in prisons are tried in disciplinary hearings called adjudications. These mainly concern disobedience, disrespect or property offences.

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The MoJ can hand down additional days of imprisonment to offenders behind bars following an adjudcation.The MoJ said it is “right” that inmates who break the rules are “properly punished”, and that the government would hire 2,500 more prison officers and introduce new measures to tackle to tackle the problems of violence, drones, phones and drugs in prisons.

But Frances Crook, Chief Executive of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said a wider revision of rules around incentives and earned privileges was needed.

From this week: Goverment wins legal action after south London prison guards walk out over 'dangerous' working conditions

The report comes in the same week that as many as 10,000 prison officers walked out over “the volatile and dangerous state of prisons, chronic staff shortages, impoverished regimes… and staff feeling unsafe in an atmosphere of disorder “, according to the Prison Officers’ Association.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) branded the strike “unlawful”, and won a High Court injunction ending the industrial action on (Tuesday, November 15).

Ms Crook said: “The system of adjudications has become a monster. Originally intended as a way to punish incidents of unacceptable conduct, it is now routinely used as a behaviour management technique by prisons that are out of control.

“Instead of solving the problems, these punishments feed a vicious cycle, piling more pressure on the prison population and worsening overcrowding, which in turn creates conditions for drug abuse and violence.

“At the same time, rules to incentivise prisoners’ behaviour have been made more punitive, which is also contributing to the poisonous atmosphere behind bars.

“The government has acknowledged that there are problems in the system, but warm words are not enough. The imposition of additional days should be seen as a sign of a poorly performing prison and included in new measures being proposed to monitor safety and order.”

From September: Rising violence, drug use and suicides at HMP High Down, another prisons watchdog finds

From July: 'When someone dies, you feel it': HMP Wandsworth governor talks drugs and deaths inside Britain's largest prison

From June: Inside HMP Wandsworth: our reporter's look behind bars at life in Britain's biggest prison

The Howard League this week launched a new campaign to reduce the number of people in prisons by reforming “the three R’s” – rules in prison, release from prison, and recall to prison.

The campaign aims to get immediate behaviour change by authorities that would ease the pressure on the prison estate by reducing the population.

A Prison Service Spokesperson said: “We want our prisons to be places of safety and reform, and so it is right that offenders who break prison rules are properly punished. Where this amounts to a criminal offence, prisoners should expect to be investigated by the police and face more serious sanctions.

"We have announced a major shake-up of the prison system, with 2,500 extra prison officers and new security measures to tackle violence, drones, phones and drugs.

“In our White Paper, we set out plans to review the current discipline system to deal with low-level disorder in our prisons, and we plan to give governors more powers to run their prison the way they think best."

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