UK Prisons on Brink of Overcrowding Crisis

Prison officials worry that prisons in the UK will fill up quickly.

UK Prisons on Brink of Crisis: Officials Warn of Overcrowding. Prison Governors Association sounds alarm as jails near full capacity, threatening public safety and criminal justice system. Government considers emergency measures, including early release of prisoners.

According to the Prison Governors Association (PGA), police officers won't be able to hold anyone in custody as there won't be enough room.

In a letter, the PGA said, “The entire criminal justice system stands on the precipice of failure.”

The focus would always be public safety, a government spokesman stressed.

As of Friday, June 21, the most recent numbers released by the Ministry of Justice show that jails had 87,395 convicts housed out of a total capacity of 88,778.

The letter states, “This is happening now; procrastination is not an option.”

It is anticipated that the letter will be released later on Tuesday, June 25.

Cells in police and judicial custody suites will soon be completely occupied, with no room left for detained prisoners.

The criminal justice system will become dysfunctional as these spaces fill up and prospects of lowering the court backlog fade.

Ministry of Justice sources have revealed that officials and ministers have contemplated using the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.Later on Tuesday, June 25, the letter is anticipated to be published.

Cells in police and judicial custody suites will soon be completely occupied, with no room left for detained prisoners.

The criminal justice system will become dysfunctional as these spaces fill up and prospects of lowering the court backlog fade.

Officials in the Ministry of Justice have revealed through sources that

In the event of a widespread emergency, this statute gives ministers additional authority, including the ability to release prisoners early.

But according to sources, this legislation won't be put into effect until after the election, if at all.

A top official called the state of affairs in jails “dreadful” and “deeply concerning.”

In an effort to relieve some of the strain brought on by congestion, the government introduced Operation Early Dawn last month.

This act gives ministers more authority in times of widespread emergency, including the ability to release prisoners early.

Sources, however, indicate that this step may not even be enacted until after the election.

A high-ranking official characterized the state of affairs in jails as grave and alarming.

Operation Early Dawn is an emergency action that the government announced last month to relieve some of the pressure brought on by overcrowding.

This strategy involved either providing bail to some defendants or detaining them in police custody for extended periods of time.

The PGA requests in its letter that legislation be changed right away to guarantee that all inmates are routinely released from imprisonment after completing 40% of their sentence.

The letter stipulates that all incarcerated individuals must be subject to this policy retrospectively.

Building more jails is a commitment made by both the Conservatives and Labour parties.

If the Conservatives are re-elected, they want to abolish what they call “EU legacy rules” in order to finish their objective of creating 20,000 more spaces by 2030.

Labour wants to give ministers the right to overrule local governments when making development decisions, which would result in the creation of 20,000 prison spots.

The government said in a statement that the prison service and police have long-standing procedures in place to handle temporary capacity problems.

“The Civil Service is working closely with partners across the justice system to make sure we have the prison places needed to keep people safe,” the spokesperson added.