Prisons trigger emergency measures to avoid overcrowding – London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

Prisons have triggered emergency measures called “Operation Early Dawn” to avoid overcrowding in the North of England as rioters are being sentenced.

The Ministry of Justice said on Monday the emergency measures were activate, this means defendants can be held in police cells until a prison space becomes free.

The emergency measures are in place in Cumbria, Lancashire, Manchester, Merseyside, North East and Yorkshire and the Cheshire regions.

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 said, “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.”

Tom Franklin, chief executive of the Magistrates’ Association told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “What this means is there will be a delay in some people who have been charged coming to court because the Prison Service can’t guarantee if they were remanded in custody, there would be a place for them.

“We understand it is not in all regions, it is some regions, and we understand that it will be reviewed during the working day. We are assured that it is a temporary measure.”