Britain plans to invoke an emergency measure to hold suspected criminals in police station cells due to a lack of space in overcrowded prisons, following the arrest of hundreds involved in widespread riots this month.
On Monday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration announced that the arrests of over 1,100 individuals in connection with racist violence targeting migrants and Muslims have exacerbated an ongoing prison capacity crisis.
This situation has already prompted officials to consider early releases for some inmates.
A new temporary measure will delay court appearances for suspects until a cell becomes available in one of the country’s more than 100 prisons.
In the meantime, suspects will be held in police stations. Prisons Minister James Timpson acknowledged that the justice system, already in crisis when inherited, is now under additional strain, forcing difficult but necessary decisions to keep it functioning.
Starmer, newly in office, faces an immediate crisis with overcrowded prisons, compelling his government to navigate tough and costly decisions.
The UK, holding the highest incarceration rate in Western Europe, has seen its prison population spike post-pandemic due to longer sentences, court delays, and a policy mandating serious offenders serve at least 65% of their terms behind bars.
Last month, Starmer introduced plans allowing most prisoners to be eligible for release after serving 40% of their sentences, down from the previous 50%.
The measures announced on Monday aim to address prison overcrowding, particularly in northern England, where recent riots erupted following false claims that the suspect in the murder of three young girls was an Islamist migrant.
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