On Monday, the UK government implemented emergency measures to address overcrowding in prisons in northern England, a response to the rising number of convictions related to recent riots.
The government has activated “Operation Early Dawn,” which permits holding defendants in police cells instead of court appearances until prison space becomes available. This decision comes amid a surge in convictions for those involved in the disturbances earlier this month.
The Labour government has warned of a potential “collapse” in the prison system due to the current capacity crisis, AFP reports. England and Wales have the highest per capita prison population in Western Europe, and the government has already announced plans to release thousands of prisoners early starting in September to mitigate the issue.
Under Operation Early Dawn, officials in northern England will conduct daily assessments of which defendants can attend court based on available prison capacity.
Prisons Minister James Timpson stated, “We inherited a justice system in crisis, exposed to shocks,” and acknowledged that the government had to make difficult decisions to keep the system functioning.
The justice ministry assured that the policy would help manage short-term prison capacity pressures in select regions and that police operations would remain unaffected. They emphasized that individuals posing a risk to public safety would not be granted bail.
However, prison and court system worker representatives have expressed concerns that the policy could affect policing and other areas of criminal justice. Mark Fairhurst, chair of the Prison Officers’ Association, noted that the policy might delay police operations due to the increased use of police cells.
Tom Franklin from the Magistrates’ Association warned that delays in court proceedings could occur as the Prison Service may struggle to guarantee available space.
The recent riots across England and Northern Ireland were sparked by the stabbing deaths of three girls at a dance class in Southport. Officials have attributed the unrest to far-right agitators, who incited violence that targeted police, mosques, and facilities housing asylum seekers.
