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Emergency operation to be launched imminently as prisons 'full'

by DD Report

August 19, 2024

Emergency operation to be launched imminently as prisons 'full'

key takeaways

In order to prevent jail congestion, reports indicate that the administration is about to implement an emergency plan. Defendants awaiting a court appearance can be housed in police cells under Operation Early Dawn until jail room becomes available. This is a longstanding program.In order to prevent jail congestion, reports indicate that the administration is about to implement an emergency plan.Cases involving those charged with taking part in the recent riots that rocked the UK are being expedited by prosecutors. In relation to the significant disturbances, 927 people had been detained; by last Monday, 466 of them had been charged. Operation Early Dawn may be announced as early as Today (19) august, according to Prison Officers' Association leader Mark Fairhurst.

He added that the North East and North West were under particular pressure and offenders there faced being "carted 100, 200 miles away from home" to serve their sentence.

Operation Early Dawn was last used in May by the previous government, again to try to ease overcrowding.

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "This government will always make sure we have the prison places we need, and we have taken decisive action to see criminals who break the law swiftly brought to justice.

"We will update on operational decisions in the normal way."

"Essentially a triage system for prisoners held in police cells," Mr. Fairhurst said of the program. "We will only take to court those prisoners we can guarantee a prison cell for, so only the most serious offences will be heard at court," he stated. "But if somebody needs to be in prison, they will be in prison, we will find a space."