Prisons ‘could see 800 deaths’ from coronavirus without protective measures

Former justice secretary David Gauke calls for early releases and suspension of short sentences to limit spread of infection

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Failure to protect the most vulnerable inmates in the UK prison system from coronavirus could result in more than 800 avoidable deaths, experts have warned.

Provisional estimates from epidemiologists at University College London suggest that uncontrolled outbreaks of infection could lead to the deaths of up to 1% of the prison population but that this could be substantially reduced if steps are taken to protect elderly prisoners and those with chronic illnesses.