The UK’s government launched emergency measures on Monday to alleviate jail congestion in northern England, after an increasing number of people were convicted of involvement in the riots earlier this month.
The decision to initiate “Operation Early Dawn,” which permits defendants to be kept in police cells and not brought to court until prison space becomes available, comes after hundreds of convictions for participating in the riot.
The new Labour government has warned of a “collapse” in the jail system, causing a capacity issue, according to AFP.
England and Wales have Western Europe’s biggest per capita jail population. To address the situation, the government has already announced plans to free thousands of detainees in early September.
Operation Early Dawn will see officials across northern England perform operational assessments each morning and throughout the day to determine which defendants can attend court, based on jail capacity.
UK Labour Government Faces Prison Capacity Issues Due to Recent Riots
“We inherited a justice system in crisis and exposed to shocks,” prisons minister James Timpson said in a statement.
“As a result, we have been forced into making difficult but necessary decisions to keep it operating.”
The justice ministry stated that the measure will help to “manage the prison capacity pressure felt in the short-term in a small number of regions”.
Police have indicated that this will not affect police’ ability to conduct arrests, according to the ministry, and that “anyone who poses a risk to the public will not be bailed”.
However, officials from prisons and the court system warned that the strategy will undoubtedly have an influence on policing and other aspects of criminal justice.
According to Prison Officers’ Association chair Mark Fairhurst, justice may be delayed temporarily since police cells are not overcrowded.
Meanwhile, Tom Franklin of the Magistrates’ Association stated that “there will be a delay in some people who have been charged coming to court because the Prison Service cannot guarantee… a place for them.”
The recent riots in England and Northern Ireland were sparked by the fatal stabbing of three girls at a dancing lesson in Southport, northwest England.
Officials have blamed far-right agitators for inciting the unrest, which included attacks on police and mosques and hotels that housed asylum seekers.
Source: BBC
