Emergency Measure Activated to Address Prison Overcrowding Amid Riot Sentencing
An emergency measure to alleviate prison overcrowding has been activated as individuals involved in recent riots across England face sentencing. The plan, known as "Operation Early Dawn," allows defendants to be held in police cells temporarily until space in prisons becomes available.
The Ministry of Justice implemented the measure in the north of England early Monday morning, following longstanding capacity issues and recent outbreaks of far-right disorder. Prisons and Probation Minister Lord Timpson stated, "We inherited a justice system in crisis and exposed to shocks. As a result, we've been forced into making difficult but necessary decisions to keep it operating."
Operation Early Dawn is currently in place across the North East and Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, as well as the Manchester, Merseyside, and Cheshire regions. The pressure on the prison system has been exacerbated by the surge in new admissions related to the rioting, which followed the tragic stabbing of three girls in Southport. By the end of last week, 460 individuals had appeared in magistrates' courts in connection with the disorder.
Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), expressed concern about the impact of the measure on police resources. "This is all a result of the rioters," he said. "Last week, we saw the biggest influx of new receptions in quite some time, with 397 new admissions. As of Friday, there were only 340 spaces left in the adult male estate."
Fairhurst warned that holding defendants in police cells would put additional strain on police forces, potentially limiting their ability to arrest and detain suspects. "It has a massive knock-on effect on the entire criminal justice system," he added.
Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp, the National Police Chiefs’ Council custody lead, assured the public that police are working closely with criminal justice partners to manage the pressure. "Policing will continue to arrest anyone needed to keep the public safe, including policing protests and events and ensuring that people are arrested as expected," Kemp stated.
Fly Ryan Air For Low Cost Flights Book Here
In response to the overcrowding crisis, the government is fast-tracking the creation of hundreds of extra prison places to accommodate those convicted of public disorder and other offences. However, last month, the Ministry of Justice reported that violence and self-harm in prisons had risen to "unacceptable" levels, pushing facilities to the "point of collapse."
To ease the strain, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to reduce the proportion of sentences that inmates must serve from 50% to 40% for certain offenders. This temporary measure, which excludes those convicted of sex offences, terrorism, domestic abuse, and some violent crimes, is expected to result in the early release of approximately 5,500 offenders in September and October.
Operation Early Dawn was previously triggered in May to address overcrowding in UK jails and is now being reactivated to manage the ongoing crisis. The government continues to face criticism over the state of the justice system, with many calling for long-term solutions rather than temporary fixes.