Winchester Prison is close to being absolutely full, according to the latest figures.
The most inmates that the jail can legally hold is 649 and the current number is 627, only 22 short.
The figure is published in the population bulletin published on July 27 by the Ministry of Justice.
The figures comes as the Government is preparing for the early release scheme in September whereby non-violent offenders will be released after serving 40 per cent of their sentence instead of half. It hopes it will ease pressure on jails nationwide.
Winchester Prison, a Victorian jail built in the mid-19th century, has a figure for 'uncrowded capacity' of 448. Called the Certified Normal Accommodation, it is the Prison Service's aspiration for a decent standard of accommodation.
It means that with 627 inmates Winchester is operating 40 per cent above its CNA, not an unusual figure in jails across the country.
A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman declined to say whether Winchester would be taking any men convicted and jailed for rioting elsewhere in the country, for security reasons.
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