Prisons minister faces tough debate over early release plan / UK prisons 'drastically deteriorated' after maintenance was privatised, says report / Perimeter security broken at dozens of prisons in England and Wales, warn governors / The Guardian view on Labour and prisons: sustained courage is needed for rational reform / Ministers eye novel fixes to the prisons crisis / Labour must have the courage of its convictions on prisons / Britain takes emergency action to prevent prisons in northern England from becoming overcrowded / The UK's prisons aren't just overcrowded--they need to be better designed