Emergency ‘Operation Early Dawn’ measures to tackle prison overcrowding activate as 100s of riot thugs locked up
THUGS involved in the riots are set to be held in police cells as the Government scrambles to deal with prison overcrowding.
Emergency measures were triggered in the North of England this morning – which will see defendants waiting for a court appearance locked up in police custody instead of being sent straight to prison.
Others will be released on bail as they await trial.
It comes in the wake of the sentencing of scores of more rioters.
The system, known as Operation Early Dawn, had been previously used by the Conservative government in May.
It will be put in place in the North East and Yorkshire; Cumbria and Lancashire; and Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire regions.
The Ministry of Justice insisted anyone who “poses a risk to the public” will not be bailed and stressed the police’s ability to arrest criminals will not be affected.
Prisons and probation minister Lord Timpson said: “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.
“However, thanks to the hard work of our dedicated staff and partners, we have brought forward additional prison places and now introduced Operation Early Dawn to manage the pressure felt in some parts of the country.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council custody lead Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp added: “We are working closely with criminal justice system partners to manage demand in the system and ensure that the public are safe.
“Policing will continue to arrest anyone that they need to in order to keep the public safe, including policing protests and events and ensuring that people are arrested as expected.”
After the riots that broke out across England following the stabbing of three girls in Southport, a total of 460 people had appeared in magistrates’ courts in relation to the disorder by the end of Thursday.
And more than 1,000 people have been arrested in connection with violent disorder, according to the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
Last month, the Ministry of Justice said violence and self-harm in prison had risen to “unacceptable” levels as overcrowding pushed jails to the “point of collapse”.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced plans to cut the proportion of the sentence inmates must serve behind bars from 50% to 40%.
The temporary move – which does not apply to those convicted of sex offences, terrorism, domestic abuse or some violent offences – is expected to result in 5,500 offenders being released in September and October.
What is Operation Early Dawn?
OPERATION Early Down is an emergency measure introduced by the UK government to manage overcrowding in prisons.
Under this plan, if someone is arrested and might need to be held in custody, they won’t be taken to court until a space in prison is confirmed for them.
Instead, they will be kept in a police cell. T
his operation helps prevent overcrowded conditions in prisons by delaying court appearances until there’s a confirmed prison space available.
The measure was recently triggered due to a sudden increase in the prison population, especially after the sentencing of individuals involved in recent riots.
But the operation may cause delays in court proceedings, as cases can be postponed until a prison cell is ready.