Prison is extremely costly, with the average annual cost being £38,000 per prisoner. The UK has the highest imprisonment rate in Europe and the prison population continues to rise, requiring more prison construction. Many prisoners face problems with drugs, alcohol, low education levels and lack of job qualifications. Over 60% of prisoners reoffend within 2 years of release. Prison may not be achieving its aims of deterring crime, punishing criminals, rehabilitating criminals or keeping society safe. There are questions around whether prison is the most effective solution and if it sometimes functions to further educate criminals rather than rehabilitate them. The high reoffending rates are also problematic for victims and communities.