In 1993, the average population in custody in England and Wales was 44,6000, a decline of 1,200 from 1992 and the lowest total for any year since 1984. The average population held in police cells was 14, a drop from 1,080 in 1992. Nonetheless, the prison population increased in 1993, partly reflecting the implementation of the Criminal Justice Act 1993. The remand population rose by an average of 200 per month between December 1992 and December 1993. The number of sentenced offenders also rose during the same period. Long-term projections predict an inmate population of 56,600 by the year 2001; previous projections were revised upward by approximately 5,000 to reflect legislative changes. 2 tables, 6 figures, 6 appendix tables, and 13 notes