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BBC NewsSep 01, 2023
UK: Convicted Criminals Could Avoid Jail as Prisons Fill Up
Image copyright: Dan Kitwood [via Getty Images]
The Facts
According to a Times UK report, Lord Edis, the presiding judge for England and Wales, said that starting next week, the sentencing of criminals who are on bail should be delayed and some existing prisoners may be released early due to an expanding prison population.
The order, which reportedly came from a meeting between Edis and other senior judges, said that cells in magistrates' courts are to be used to hold suspects of the most serious crimes. However, one senior judge said that convicted rapists of children under 13 could still remain on bail.
The Spin
Narrative A
This dangerous situation has been years in the making, with the MoJ and other authorities having predicted the rise in the prison population as early as 2018. The government's claims of investing in so-called "modern" prison places are largely unfulfilled, with 75% of them existing only on blueprints. Operation Safeguard, too, is inadequate, which is why violent criminals will begin walking the streets again if real prison infrastructure isn't built immediately.
Narrative B
While it's true that less than half of the government's planned new prisons have been built, 5.5K have been, which itself is enough to hold the current number of convicts. Ministers are also working with European partners to rent prison space abroad, which will be a unique but effective tool. No one is sitting idly as England and Wales become overrun by prisoners — measures have been taken and communities will be kept safe as usual.