Britain will introduce emergency measures to hold criminal suspects in police cells until authorities can find space for them in overcrowded prisons after police arrested hundreds of people in connection with widespread unrest this month.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government said Monday that the arrest of more than 1,100 suspects over racist violence targeting migrants and Muslims had worsened the prison capacity crisis, prompting ministers to say they would allow prisons to release more prisoners early.
The new temporary measure means suspects will be tried only if a cell is confirmed to be available in one of more than 100 prisons across the country. If that is not confirmed, they will be held at a police station.
“We have been forced to make difficult but necessary decisions to keep the system running,” Prisons Minister James Timpson said in a statement.
Overcrowded prisons have presented an early crisis for Starmer, who took office last month, leaving his government facing unpalatable and expensive choices.
Britain has the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe and the number of people in prison has risen sharply since the pandemic, thanks to longer sentences, court delays and requirements for serious offenders to serve at least 65 per cent of their sentences behind bars.
Under plans announced by Starmer last month, most prisoners will be eligible for release after serving 40 per cent of their sentence behind bars, down from 50 per cent previously.
The steps taken on Monday are expected to address low prison capacity in the north of England, an area affected by recent riots, which erupted after false information emerged that a suspect in the murder of three young girls was a Muslim migrant. (ab/lt)
