A temporary measure to help ease overcrowding in prisons in England was activated by the government this morning (Monday, August 19). The system, known as Operation Early Dawn, was previously used by the Conservative government in May. Part of the reason this plan has been initiated is due to the sentencing of people involved in far-right riots that took place in late July and early August.
The government said that its action to "tackle violent thuggery on our streets " has "exacerbated longstanding capacity issues in our prisons" BBC News reports . Breaking: An emergency plan to avert overcrowding in England's jails has been implemented overnight. It comes as the courts continued with the rapid sentencing of hundreds of people over the riots which followed the Southport knife attacks.
pic.twitter.com/bb6SEz0rf9 — Good Morning Britain (@GMB) August 19, 2024 Across the north of England defendants waiting for a court appearance will be kept in police cells until prison space is available.
A number of steps have already been taken to increase capacity in prisons including making hundreds of prison places available including a new houseblock at HMP Stocken, the repurposed HMP Cookham Wood, and accelerated maintenance work in other prisons. The Government website adds: "In the first week of forming a new Government, action was also taken to address the longstanding capacity issues in our prisons, announcing difficult but necessary changes to certain prison sentences. "These chan.