The UK government is grappling with severe overcrowding in its prisons, with Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood stating that the situation has pushed jails to the 'point of collapse.'

Recent reports reveal that prisons in England and Wales had only 83 spare cells last month, highlighting a critical shortage of space.

The prison population has surged by 1,025 inmates over the past four weeks, marking the highest level since tracking began in 2011.

In response to this crisis, the government is exploring the controversial option of sending offenders to serve their sentences in Estonia.

Officials are considering this plan as a potential solution to alleviate the overcrowding issue in British jails.

Estonian Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta has expressed that a partnership for housing prisoners could enhance bilateral cooperation and provide mutual learning opportunities.

Estonia currently has three prisons with a combined capacity of 3,041, significantly less than the UK's 120 prisons, which can accommodate 88,818 inmates.

However, concerns remain about the practicality of this plan, including the potential impact on family visits for UK prisoners housed abroad.

Former chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, has voiced skepticism about the Estonia plan, citing logistical challenges and limited effectiveness in addressing overcrowding.

Despite initial skepticism, Labour is reconsidering the idea of housing criminals in Estonia, which was first proposed by former Justice Secretary Alex Chalk.

As part of a broader strategy, the Ministry of Justice is investigating various options to increase prison capacity amid ongoing overcrowding challenges.

Additionally, an emergency measure set to begin soon will release approximately 1,500 prisoners to help mitigate the overcrowding crisis.