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Starmer: Guilt over prison emergency measures is 'terrible legacy' | Politics news

With its emergency measures to prevent prison overcrowding, the government is “managing the risk” to public safety, Sir Keir Starmer said.

During a trip to Belfast, the Prime Minister blamed the “terrible legacy” of the Conservative government and the recent right-wing extremist unrest about his need to activate Operation Early Dawn.

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The long-standing emergency mechanism delays the summons of the accused to appear before the district court until a place in prison becomes available in case he is remanded in custody.

This principle was previously applied by the Conservative government and allows defendants to be held in police cells when prisons are at full capacity.

Asked whether the plan posed a threat to public safety by diverting police resources or releasing more prisoners on bail, Sir Keir said the Government was making “really difficult decisions and nobody wants to make them”.

He attributed this to the “terrible legacy of prisons that we as a new government had inherited from the previous government.”

“There has been a fundamental failure, namely the lack of sufficient prison space for the number of prisoners sentenced to prison,” the Prime Minister said.

“This was as fundamental a failure of governance by the previous government as one could imagine.

“We have had to cope with this in recent weeks with the additional burden of the illness.”

Asked about the threat to public safety, Sir Keir said the Government is “managing that risk… to ensure we have enough space for prisoners”.

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Is there room for rioters in prisons?

The Prime Minister pointed to the rapid response to the unrest, adding: “I think the response of the judiciary to the recent unrest was a major reason why the unrest has subsided for now.”

Prosecutors are trying to speed up proceedings against persons suspected of involvement in the recent unrest in parts of the United Kingdomwith over 1,000 arrests and 400 charges so far and long prison sentences for the guilty.

The unrest broke out after misinformation spread on the Internet after the fatal knife attack of three young girls in Southport.

The UK Ministry of Justice said that “decisive action to tackle violence on our streets” had exacerbated long-standing capacity problems in UK prisons, which have been at critical levels for several years.

What is Operation Early Dawn?

The measure allows people awaiting court dates to be held in police cells until more prison spaces become available.

Detained defendants will not be summoned before the Justice of the Peace until the additional prison capacity is confirmed.

The procedure helps to minimise disruption to bail hearings and is seen as a short-term measure to address capacity pressures in many regions.

The process involves conducting assessments each morning and throughout the day.

This involves examining which defendants can appear in court and which detention facilities are available if they are taken into custody.

The measure will not affect ongoing Crown Court proceedings, where prisoners will attend hearings and then return to prison as normal.

Operation Early Dawn will have no impact on the police's ability to arrest criminals – and means people who pose a danger will continue to be denied bail.

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Operation Early Dawn will be carried out in the North East and Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, as well as the Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire regions.

Downing Street said the plans could be activated and deactivated several times over the next few weeks as needed.

Measure “will delay court proceedings”

The move has raised concerns among prison chiefs and legal experts.

Tom Franklin, executive director of the judges' association, said the measures would lead to delays in the trial of the defendants.

Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of the Prison Guards' Association, said that while the most serious offences would still end up in court and be guaranteed a prison cell, less serious offenders would either have to spend longer in police cells or be released on bail.

However, he clarified that this does not mean that some people who would normally go to prison could escape it.

Riots broke out in Southport after three girls were stabbed to death. Image: PA
Picture:
Riots broke out in Southport after three girls were stabbed to death. Image: PA

Nick Emmerson, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, said the resumption of Operation Early Dawn would have an impact on victims, defendants and lawyers and that sustained investment in the criminal justice system was needed “to avoid a complete collapse”.

Operation Early Dawn was triggered by the conservative government in May to combat prison overcrowding.

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Last month, the Justice Department said Violence and self-harm in prison has reached an “unacceptable” level as overcrowding is pushing prisons to the “brink of collapse”.

Justice Minister Shabana Mahmood announced plans shorten the sentence Inmates must spend 50 to 40 percent of their time behind bars.

The temporary measure – which does not apply to people convicted of sexual offences, terrorism, domestic violence or certain violent crimes – is expected to lead to the release of 5,500 offenders in September and October.

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