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UK Activates Operation Early Dawn to Ease Prison Overcrowding Amid Riot Sentences

Aug 19, 2024, 11:44 AM

The UK government has activated emergency measures, known as Operation Early Dawn, to address prison overcrowding exacerbated by the recent sentencing of individuals involved in riots. This plan involves holding defendants in police cells until prison space becomes available. The measures were triggered as the rapid sentencing of hundreds of people over riots, which followed the Southport knife attacks, has strained the prison system. The Ministry of Justice has confirmed that these emergency measures are being implemented in Northern England and the Midlands. The situation has led to concerns about the impact on the wider criminal justice system, as highlighted by Mark Fairhurst from the Prison Officers' Association. UK Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the early release of 5,000 prisoners to create space for those newly sentenced.