Prison authorities have developed plans to accommodate two inmates in prefabricated "rapid deployment cells" (RDCs) originally designed to house one person, in response to the UK's prison overcrowding crisis. Governors at ten medium-security prisons have been instructed to prepare proposals to add second beds to these temporary structures, which would create an additional 476 prison places, following Labour's abandoned plans to release prisoners early. The move reflects mounting pressure to manage the prison system's capacity constraints.

The RDCs are modular "pods" that can be stacked up to two storeys high and currently contain a bed, lavatory and shower; only ground floor units would be suitable for doubling up, according to leaked Prison Service documents. However, prison officers' unions and the Prison Governors' Association have raised serious concerns, warning that the scheme would breach jails' safe occupancy limits and could trigger staff walkouts over health and safety grounds. Prison governors highlighted that RDCs are among the least secure facilities and require proper risk assessment before any changes proceed.