Emergency Measures Triggered

The UK government has triggered emergency measures to deal with the overcrowding crisis in England’s prisons due to an upswing in the number of rioters convicted. This entails defendants being held temporarily in police cells until there is capacity in prisons. As such, this may mean convicted people will have their court dates adjourned at short notice.

Operation Early Dawn Activated

Operation Early Dawn was activated on Monday morning, impacting, mostly, those who are awaiting court appearances in Northern England. These individuals will be held in police custody until the prison system can accommodate them. The government says that these measures are a result of heightened strain on the prison system, following recent attempts to address violent unrest.

James Timpson, the prison’s minister, said that inherited challenges within our justice system have forced the government into making some very difficult choices.

“We inherited a justice system in crisis and exposed to shocks. As a result, we have been forced into making difficult but necessary decisions to keep it operating,”

He also emphasised that public safety remains a priority.

The UK has a prison capacity crisis on its hands.

“The prison population in England and Wales is coming close to maximum capacity, limiting space for new inmates”,
Mark Fairhurst, the national chair of the Prison Officers’ Association said.

The situation worsened last week when there was an influx of prisoners going into jails across the UK, on an unprecedented scale. He raised concerns about police cells that could be overcrowded following these measures.

According to Fairhurst, the North-East and North-West of England are feeling more pressure than anywhere else. The absence of any nearby prisons fills up with offenders from this region as they must be taken far from their homes.

Effects on Policing and Justice

Nev Kemp from the National Police Chief’s Council assured that law enforcement would continue without being affected by anyone’s arrest in order to maintain public safety if necessary. Nonetheless, a burdened jail system has resulted in tough choices, such as reducing the amount of arrests, in order to manage the limited capacity.

Operation Early Dawn is seen as a quick fix for immediate localised stresses exerted upon the prison estate which usually does not last more than one week. It works through better coordination between police stations, Her Majesty’s Prison Service (HMPS) and the courts.

The Government’s Response to the Overcrowding Crisis

The overcrowding issue is not new. In May, Operation Early Dawn was previously activated in London and North-East England and was later extended across the country. At that time, the Ministry of Justice directed police to consider fewer arrests due to the lack of prison space.

Last month, the Ministry acknowledged that violence and self-harm in prisons had reached “unacceptable” levels, with overcrowding pushing the system to the “point of collapse.” To this effect, Shabana Mahmood (the Justice Secretary) declared a temporary reduction in jail terms served by convicts from 50% to 40%.

This action is projected to secure freedom for approximately 5,500 culprits within September and October, without including individuals charged with heinous crimes such as terrorism, rape or domestic violence.

Operation Early Dawn acts as some kind of relief for now but prison overcrowding remains unresolved in its long-term implications for justice systems.