Lack of space in prisons

Lack of space in prisons. I don't mean that the cells are tiny (prisons in the UK are probably luxury compared to prisons abroad). I mean the number of cells are inadequate to house the burgeoning number of prisoners. The problem must be pressing because they are thinking of placing murderers and paedophiles in prisons where there is less security. I find this a problem
because there are already problems in selecting prisoners for early release under parole since many are re-offending. The people that make these decisions could decide who should be sent to the less secure prisons.

Besides, there should not be a lack of space in prisons. The knock on effects are fewer convictions. The police have to be more lenient because they will know that the judges will be more lenient. Someone has to be more lenient because it appears that we do not have enough space to house every offender even if the police can catch them all. Is this not a grim reality? I fear that this is sending a message to offenders and any would-be offenders that there is a higher chance of them escaping a jail sentence because the judicial system and the police will be more lenient towards them. This is one reason why people feel less safe on the street and in their homes.

Take the following example. I was reading a group discussion online about someone who was hit by a car which had jumped a red light. The car returned and rather than enquiring whether the person was ok, three men came out (one with a baseball bat) demanding money for the repair. The man escaped but not without getting smashed over the head with the baseball bat. This is already shocking to me because I cannot understand how someone could have such skewed moral values? What makes it worse is that according to the lawyers in the group, getting a conviction is difficult. Furthermore, even with a conviction, they will most likely be release with a caution. With such injustice, how can people have faith in the law apart from the criminals? What is even worse, the lawyers call this a minor offence.