Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: One martyred in the Israeli drone strike on a car in the town of Kawnin
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli drone targets a car in the town of Kawnin
Naeini: If our national interests are attacked again, our response this time will be stronger and more destructive
Naeini: The war has proven that the settlers are defenseless against Iranian missile and drone forces
Naeini: Trump lacks an understanding of the true strength of the Iranian people and is so deluded as to believe he can change the reality of Iran's victory
Naeini: The defeat led to Trump's confusion and loss of balance, which was reflected in his ill-considered statements
IRGC spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Naeini: Trump's statements are a result of his defeat against Iran, and we advise him to abandon absurd policies
Gaza Government Media Office: The number of children martyred due to malnutrition has risen to 66
Saree: Loyal Yemen will not abandon its religious, moral, and humanitarian duties toward the Palestinian people
Saree: Over the past week, we carried out military operations targeting sensitive sites and military installations in Beer al-Sabe', Yafa, and Haifa via a number of ballistic missiles and drones, which were all successful

England, Wales jails overcrowded, will reach ‘breaking point’ in July

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 20 Jun 2024 08:51
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

The development will likely trigger Operation Early Dawn, a crisis measure that permits offenders to be housed in police cells when prisons are full.

Listen
  • x
  • Prisons
    Barbed and razor wires are installed on the fence at The Port Isabel Detention Center, as seen during a media tour of the Port Isabel Detention Center (PIDC), in Los Fresnos, Texas, June 10, 2024. (AP)

Prison governors in England and Wales have been cautioned that by the second week of July, jails will be so overcrowded that they will struggle to accommodate any more inmates, creating an immediate crisis for the incoming UK government, The Guardian reported on Thursday.

HM Prison and Probation Service officials informed prison heads in England and Wales earlier this month that data indicates an “operational capacity breaking point” will be reached just days after the general election on July 4.

The news website suggested that the development will likely trigger Operation Early Dawn, a crisis measure that permits offenders to be housed in police cells when prisons are full, and may also lead magistrates' courts to delay cases. These measures complement a temporary government scheme that allows prisoners to be released up to 70 days early.

Legal challenges may hinder further overcrowding

"We understand that we will no longer be able to receive prisoners from court in the second to third week of July. It is not an exact science – but it is very soon after the election," stated Tom Wheatley, president of the Prison Governors Association.

He noted that "this position was projected some time ago," indicating that "the outgoing government did not take the necessary action in a timely fashion to avoid this."

Related News

British officials knew of 'Israel’s' plan to strike Iran: Sky News

Car rams into crowd at Liverpool's title parade; suspect detained

Wheatley added that any attempt to further overcrowd prisons beyond their operational capacity could face legal challenges, saying, "If a new government arrives and says: ‘We want more people in,’ it would be challenged in court by the PGA because ministers would be placing our members at risk."

According to The Guardian, Operation Early Dawn is typically used for very short periods, usually no longer than a week, to manage immediate, localized pressures on the prison estate

It enhances coordination between police stations, the Prison Service, and the courts to ensure that no one is taken to court unless the Prison Service can guarantee a space for them if they are remanded.

The latest figures released by the Ministry of Justice on 14 June showed that the usable capacity in prisons across England and Wales was 88,815, while the population was 87,347.

Operation Early Dawn was triggered in May in London and northeast England before being rolled out across the country due to concerns over prison overcrowding. During the same month, police were also instructed to consider making fewer arrests due to the lack of space in prisons.

Officials have also developed plans to reduce the time served by prisoners from the current halfway point in their sentences to about 43%.

The Guardian noted that the Conservative party has laid aside its pledge to ensure that most sentences under 12 months should be suspended and served in the community, rather than in prison. This proposal was part of the sentencing bill introduced during the last session of parliament, but its progress stalled when a group of right-wing Tory MPs opposed the policy.

The news website cited Labour insiders as saying that the party would push through planning permission for new prisons but have not specified how they would address the immediate overcrowding crisis, noting they lacked access to government data but were aware of the "brutal inheritance" they face, given that the party is widely expected to form the next UK government.

Read more: UK gov. accused of spending over £130bln in taxpayer money

  • England
  • Labour Party
  • Conservative Party
  • Wales
  • United Kingdom

Most Read

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a protest following the US attacks on nuclear sites in Iran, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

Iran declares victory as ceasefire forces Israeli retreat

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Israeli workers survey the site where a missile launched from Iran struck in Haifa on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP)

True Promise 3, wave 20: 40 missiles launched, Kheibar-Shekan in first

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025
Iran launches strikes on Israeli targets, despite alleged ceasefire

Iran victorious as ceasefire with 'Israel' takes effect

  • Politics
  • 24 Jun 2025
Iranian worshippers carry their country's flags in a protest to condemn Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran, after the Friday prayers ceremony in Tehran, Iran, Friday, June 20, 2025. (AP)

Iran warns of NPT withdrawal, Strait of Hormuz closure after US attack

  • Politics
  • 22 Jun 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli occupation soldiers search for settlers amid the rubble of buildings destroyed by an Iranian missile strike in Bat Yam, central occupied Palestine, on Sunday, June 15, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Iran missile strike flattens Bat Yam, displaces 2,000 settlers

Palestinian fighters from the Islamic Jihad militant group riding on a truck with weaponry on display take part in an anti-Israel parade marking the 36th anniversary of the movement's founding, in Gaza City, Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023 (AP)
Politics

Palestinian Resistance attacks Israeli forces in Khan Younis, Jabalia

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stands waiting to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for the talks at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 23, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Iran suspends IAEA cooperation, Araghchi blames Grossi for attacks

The commander of the Quds Force's Palestine Unit, Brigadier General Mohammad Said Izadi (Illustrated by Mahdi Rtail for Al Mayadeen English)
Politics

Who was Mohammad Said Izadi, head of the Quds Force's Palestine Unit?

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS