In light of the recent unrest, the British government has activated emergency measures to alleviate prison congestion. This is reported by the “BBC“. The measures, also called “Operation Early Dawn”, came into force this morning. It is now possible to hold defendants in police cells until places become available in prisons. This means that court dates can be postponed or adjourned at short notice. Mark Fairhurst, chairman of the Prison Officers’ Association, criticised the Interview with BBC Radio 4 the new measures and warned of a “clogging of the police cells”.
Background of the emergency measures
The measures were activated after an increasing number of rioters were arrested in the recent unrest. According to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), over 1,000 people have been arrested so far. The Ministry of Justice stressed that the measures are necessary to cope with the pressure on the overstretched prison system. Prisons Minister Lord Timpson said: “We have inherited a justice system in crisis and have had to make difficult but necessary decisions.” The emergency measures are also having a massive impact on the justice system. “This is all a result of the riots,” stressed Mark Fairhurst. “We had 397 new arrivals. On Friday we only had 340 places in the closed men’s section, which is under the greatest pressure.”
Reduction of prison sentences planned
To further ease the pressure, Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood announced in July that she would reduce prison sentences from 50 percent to 40 percent of the sentence. In this way, 5,500 prisoners are to be released in September and October. As the “GuardianHowever, as reported by the Guardian, the temporary measure does not apply to people convicted of sexual offences, terrorism or domestic violence. The UK government has already confirmed that people involved in the recent unrest are not excluded from the latest measures.
