The Government is preparing additional spaces in prisons to house rioters in light of violent demonstrations across the UK.
HMP Stocken in the East Midlands and HMP Cookham Wood in Kent are currently be readied to take in 600 people convicted of crimes related to the current public disorder.
Prison administrators are also considering transferring some current inmates out of the areas where the riots have broken out, in order to create space for newly charged rioters.
Justice Minister Heidi Alexander added that courts are not currently sitting out of hours but that option is available in some areas depending on requests – during the 2011 London riots, court judges were requested to work overnight.
However, both the Magistrates’ Association and the Criminal Bar Association have stated that they would rather this was not the case, pointing to a criminal justice system already at “maximum capacity”.
Both HMP Stocken and HMP Cookham Wood were already being prepared to increase their intakes, though these plans have been accelerated in light of recent the violent disruption across the UK.
More to follow…
Source Agencies
