UK Parliament home

Open Require prisoners with sufficient assets to pay the cost of their incarceration

Created by David Forshaw
Closes on

We call on the UK Government to introduce legislation requiring prisoners with sufficient financial means to pay the cost of their incarceration through a fair, means-tested system, the same as paying for your care, should you need to, in later life.

This should operate in a similar way to existing arrangements under the Care Act 2014, where individuals with assets are required to contribute to the cost of their care. Contributions should apply where offenders have the ability to pay.
The cost of imprisonment places a substantial and growing burden on taxpayers. At a time of pressure on public finances, it is neither fair nor sustainable that individuals with significant assets can serve custodial sentences entirely at public expense.

Sign this petition

28 signatures

Show on a map

10,000

Petition progress

View all updates for this petition, with the most recent first.

  • Petition published

    This petition can now be signed.

    If this petition gets 10,000 signatures, government will respond to it.

    If this petition gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.

    This petition will stay open until 27 February 2027.