Prisoners to be detained in 400 POLICE cells as prisons struggle

Prisoners are to be detained in 400 POLICE cells because prisons are running out of space with ministers blaming a ‘surge’ in numbers caused by the barristers’ strike halting court cases

• Justice minister Damian Hinds told MPs of a ‘surge’ over the past two months 
• Blamed barristers who went on strike over pay earlier this year, halting courts
• Defendants stuck on remand for longer than they might otherwise have been

Ministers have activated emergency plans to house offenders in prison cells because prisons are nearly  full. 

Justice minister Damian Hinds told MPs that a ‘surge’ over the past two months meant he was asking for the use of up to 400 cells in police stations in towns across the UK if required.

Ministry of Justice figures show that there are currently 82,839 prisoners, compared to an operational capacity of 84,035.

Speaking in the Commons he laid the blame at the feet of barristers who walked out on strike over pay earlier this year, halting court cases and leaving defendants stuck on remand for longer than they might otherwise have been.  

He said he had written to the National Police Chiefs Council to request the temporary use of cells through an established protocol known as Operation Safeguard. 

‘In recent months we have experienced an acute and sudden increase in the prison population, in part due to the aftermath of the Criminal Bar Association strike action over the summer which led to a significantly higher number of offenders on remand,’ he said.

‘With court hearings resuming we are seeing a surge in offenders coming through the criminal justice system, placing capacity pressure on adult male prisons in particular.’

Labour hit back saying the overcrowding in the prison system is ‘more evidence that we can no longer afford the cost of the Conservatives’.

Justice minister Damian Hinds told MPs that a ‘surge’ over the past two months meant the would need to use up to 400 cells in police stations in towns across the UK.

He said he had written to the National Police Chiefs Council to request the temporary use of cells through an established protocol known as Operation Safeguard.

Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: ‘This Conservative Government has left murderers and rapists to roam our streets because they cut the number of cells that they should be locked up in.

‘Despite reports of rape and sexual offences hitting record highs, the Conservatives cut more than 10,000 prison places since 2010, while the Justice Secretary is more interested in the fight to save his job than the fight against crime.

‘Our country needs a government that is serious about protecting victims of crime. Labour will get more police on the streets, a bigger say for victims, and a justice system that doesn’t see criminals run loose.’

His junior shadow minister Ellie Reeves told the Commons: ‘This is yet another crisis created by this shambolic Tory Government. It is hard to think of a more damning indictment of this Government’s failure on law and order than the fact they have now run out of cells to lock up criminals.

‘But it is hardly surprising when under the Tories 10,000 prison places have been lost.

‘Not only this, 663 police stations have closed, so who knows how long it will be until this contingency plan will need a contingency plan all of its own?

‘While we find ourselves in a satiation with not enough cells, in response to a recent parliamentary question we discovered that over the last five years the Tories have spent over £1 million on maintaining closed prisons.’

Responding, Mr Hinds told MPs;  ‘At no point in the last five years have we had fewer than a thousands cells available across the entire prison estate.

‘We have not run out of prison places and this does not reflect a failure to plan ahead. We have absolutely been planning ahead, we have stuck to our expansion programme and indeed brought forward capital works.

‘But there has also been this highly unusual acute short-term surge, increases of over 700, and then over 800 in the last two months. It is the first time ever we have seen that sort of increase for two consecutive months.

‘There are a number of capacity increase options that we have but they are just not possible, they are not available in that short timeframe.’

Mr Hinds said the overcrowding was ‘specific to the adult male estate’, adding: ‘There is ample capacity in the women’s and the youth estates.’

Last week Mr Hinds’ superior, Justice secretary Dominic Raab, complained about the deal done with criminal barristers to restart court cases. 

Dominic Raab today promised not to ‘unpick’ the £54million deal but told the Justice Committee  the multi-million pound agreement could lead to cuts elsewhere.

He speculated about money being taken away from victim support, drug rehabilitation or education for prisoners as he continued his criticism of the ‘unwarranted’ strike action.

At the end of September, Mr Raab’s predecessor Brandon Lewis agreed to a further £54million of investment in the criminal bar and solicitors to bring to an end the criminal barristers’ strike over fees and conditions.

The walkout action had begun while Mr Raab was previously Justice Secretary – before he was sacked by ex-prime minister Liz Truss in September to be replaced by Mr Lewis.

Now Mr Raab is back in charge of the Ministry of Justice under Ms Truss’s successor Rishi Sunak, he pointedly refused to credit Mr Lewis for ending the barristers’ strike.

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