The United Kingdom announced on Monday that it could grant convicted criminals early release from prison to make room for “anti-immigration protesters.”
The government has activated emergency protocol, known as “Operation Early Dawn,” to tackle prison overcrowding as the number of convicted “anti-immigration protesters” continues to grow.
The measure allows those awaiting court appearances to be held in police cells until more prison spaces become available, and defendants in custody are only brought before magistrates once additional jail capacity is secured.
Prisons Minister Lord Timpson stated that these emergency measures are crucial to “alleviate the strain on certain facilities across the nation.”
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) reports that over a thousand individuals have been arrested in connection with the unrest that took place earlier this month in England and Northern Ireland.
The “anti-immigration” protests stem from growing concerns about mass migration into the UK and were largely sparked by a shocking incident where a man of immigrant descent stabbed 11 children, resulting in the deaths of three young girls.
Arrests have been made not only for those who committed violent acts and property damage but also for those who “shouted and gesticulated” at police, “armchair rioters,” a pensioner who said, “you’re not English anymore,” and individuals who posted “hateful” content on social media. A judge has also reportedly vowed to refuse to grant bail even for those who “only watched the riots from the sidelines” as “curious observers.”
Mark Fairhurst from the Prison Officers’ Association told BBC Breakfast that although prisons are overcrowded, a jail cell is guaranteed.
“That’s why we’ve initiated ‘Early Dawn,’” he said. “So, basically the easiest way to describe it is one-in-one-out. So, as people get released, we can then pick up people from police cells and take them to court and we will triage that three times a day.”
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to temporarily reduce the portion of a sentence that must be served before parole eligibility from 50 percent to 40 percent in an urgent effort to free up prison space.
Mahmood sounded the alarm last month, telling MPs, “It is now clear that by September of this year our prisons will overflow. There is only one way to avert disaster…
“If that bomb goes off, if our prisons run out of space, the courts would grind to a halt, suspects could not be held in custody and police officers would be unable to make arrests, leaving criminals free to act without consequence. In short, if we fail to act now we face the prospect of a total breakdown of law and order,” she said.
This change is expected to result in the early release of approximately 5,500 prisoners in September and October. However, individuals convicted of terrorism, sex offenses, and domestic abuse will not be eligible for early release.
Those involved in the recent riots will also be excluded from the early release scheme.
