The British government has faced opposition over its plan to operate prison ships in order to solve the prison overcrowding problem.

Opposition groups say prison ships would not solve the prisons crisis and consider fewer custodial sentences as the only solution, DPA reported.

A Justice Ministry spokesman said on Saturday the government was considering prison ships for keeping prisoners, whose population is more than 81,000, a thousand below prison capacity. The prison population is reaching new highs almost every week with no signs of slowing down.

The number of prisoners in Britain was 42,000 in 1991. The government has predicted a total prison population of 110,000 by 2010.

In June, the government decided to release some prisoners earlier than the end of their term as a result of the overcrowding problem.

There are totally 158 prisons in Britain and Northern Ireland.

AKM/RA