2 years ago
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The authorities has asked to usage 400 constabulary cells to relieve pressures connected the situation service
The authorities has asked to temporarily usage 400 constabulary cells to clasp inmates aft an "acute and abrupt increase" successful the situation population.
The justness curate said determination was a "highly unusual" surge of much than 800 prisoners successful the past 2 months.
Speaking successful the Commons, Damian Hinds said the overcrowding was partially owed to a backlog of outstanding tribunal cases.
Labour's Ellie Reeves blamed "shambolic" authorities for the situation service's problems.
Mr Hinds said the overcrowding contented was constricted to antheral prisons and determination was "ample" abstraction successful women's and younker prisons.
The justness curate said the protocol, known arsenic Operation Safeguard and past utilized successful 2008, was meant for times of "high demand".
He said: "It is the archetypal clip ever we person seen that benignant of summation for 2 consecutive months."
Mr Hinds told MPs the overcrowding successful jails was partially owed to the interaction of onslaught enactment by transgression barristers implicit the summer.
He said: "With tribunal hearings resuming, we are seeing a surge successful offenders coming done the transgression justness system, placing capableness unit connected big antheral prisons successful particular."
The authorities had written to the National Police Chiefs to petition the impermanent usage of constabulary cells, Mr Hinds said.
He added that Operation Safeguard was "not an unprecedented move" and would supply the contiguous further capableness to guarantee the "smooth running" of the situation estate.
Responding successful the Commons, Labour's Ms Reeves said problems successful the situation work were a "failure connected instrumentality and order" and "another situation created by this shambolic Tory government".
Prisons are "failing successful truthful galore ways", the shadiness justness curate said. She referenced Exeter Prison, which past week was recovered to person the worst rates of self-harm successful England and Wales.
In February the authorities said 4,000 caller situation places would beryllium created arsenic portion of plans to summation capacity aft it committed successful 2021 to 20,000 by the mediate of the decade.
In the Commons, Justice Committee Chairman Sir Bob Neil said situation numbers had "risen exponentially".
He besides suggested determination could beryllium crushed to reconsider whether it was "appropriate" to clasp non-violent offenders successful custody.
Mr Hinds said it was "very important" to look astatine options different than custodial sentences, but said portion of the crushed for the emergence successful numbers was "tougher sentences for the worst offences".
Plaid Cymru Westminster person Liz Saville Roberts said utilizing constabulary cells to location prisoners showed an "utter failure" of policy.
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