Magistrates urged to delay locking up criminals in a bid to ease overcrowding
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Magistrates urged to delay locking up criminals in a bid to ease overcrowding

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Times reported Lord Justice Nicholas Green, who sits on the Court of Appeal and is the deputy senior presiding judge for England and Wales, issued a “listing direction” to the managers of magistrates’ courts across the two countries, advising offenders likely to be jailed should have sentencing postponed until the Government’s early release scheme comes into effect on September 10. Independent judges decide when to schedule court hearings and do so in the interests of justice, including to ensure the effective operation of the criminal justice system Ministry of Justice spokesperson They said in a statement: “The new Government inherited a prisons crisis, and this is yet another sign of the pressures our justice system is facing. “Independent judges decide when to schedule court hearings and do so in the interests of justice, including to ensure the effective operation of the criminal justice system.” The advice did not apply to higher courts dealing with more serious criminal cases. Tom Franklin, chief executive of the Magistrates’ Association, said: “Another day, another sticking plaster to hold our crumbling justice system together.

Justice Prison Court Free System Ease Our Justice System Magistrates Urged  bid  delay  sign  ease  morning  locking  offenders  prison  court  system  serving  magistrates  urged  free  overcrowding  criminals  release  justice

History of this topic

Jailed without hope: Ministers block 128 prisoners on indefinite jail terms from moving to open conditions
1 week, 4 days ago

Jailed without hope: Ministers block 128 prisoners on indefinite jail terms from moving to open conditions

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Shocking injustices facing IPP prisoners …

More criminals will be spared jail to cope with shortfall of 12,400 prison spaces: Offenders will live under house arrest and wear tags - with Labour's early release scheme set to continues for years
1 month ago

More criminals will be spared jail to cope with shortfall of 12,400 prison spaces: Offenders will live under house arrest and wear tags - with Labour's early release scheme set to continues for years

Daily Mail  

More criminals will be spared jail after a damning report revealed the full scale of the overcrowding crisis. The current expansion plans are 'insufficient to meet projected future demand', with the MoJ 'relying' on measures like the sentencing review announced in October to 'reduce demand for prison places and close the gap between demand and capacity' and 'address a projected …

Revealed: Record number of ex-offenders charged with serious new crimes while on probation
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Revealed: Record number of ex-offenders charged with serious new crimes while on probation

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Victims’ advocates told The Independent the increase was “very …

More prisoners to leave jail early in next phase of bid to free up cell space
2 months, 2 weeks ago

More prisoners to leave jail early in next phase of bid to free up cell space

The Independent  

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HMP Brixton: Inspection finds catalogue of failings at one of UK’s most overcrowded jails
3 months, 2 weeks ago

HMP Brixton: Inspection finds catalogue of failings at one of UK’s most overcrowded jails

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. With the government freeing thousands of prisoners early to ease …

Probation officers brace for ‘ticking time bomb’ as 1,700 prisoners freed early
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Probation officers brace for ‘ticking time bomb’ as 1,700 prisoners freed early

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Overwhelmed probation officers have warned of a “ticking time bomb” …

Fears domestic abusers will be released from prison under early release scheme
3 months, 4 weeks ago

Fears domestic abusers will be released from prison under early release scheme

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Fears have been raised that domestic abusers are “slipping through the net” …

Starmer reveals he was forced to check prison capacity every day during riots
4 months, 1 week ago

Starmer reveals he was forced to check prison capacity every day during riots

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sir Keir Starmer …

It will be a long stretch until our jails are fit for purpose
4 months, 2 weeks ago

It will be a long stretch until our jails are fit for purpose

The Independent  

After years of underfunding and neglect, it should come as no surprise that the British prison system has broken down, even before it has had to cope with an influx of many hundreds of inmates to be detained at His Majesty’s pleasure following the recent riots. So it has proved – and in what the prisons minister James Timpson calls …

Riots push overcrowded prisons to breaking point triggering ‘one in, one out’ measures
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Riots push overcrowded prisons to breaking point triggering ‘one in, one out’ measures

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Riots first erupted in Southport …

Emergency measures to ease prison overcrowding activated as more rioters are sentenced
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Emergency measures to ease prison overcrowding activated as more rioters are sentenced

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery The government has put emergency …

Britain takes emergency action to prevent prisons in northern England from becoming overcrowded
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Britain takes emergency action to prevent prisons in northern England from becoming overcrowded

Associated Press  

LONDON — Britain has taken emergency action to prevent prisons from becoming overcrowded as hundreds of people are sentenced in connection with the civil unrest that gripped the country earlier this month. Under the measures, defendants in northern England will be held in police cells while awaiting early court appearances, and they will be summoned to court only when there …

Britain's soft justice scandal: Career criminals with more than 100 previous convictions are being SPARED jail - with the number almost tripling in 16 years as the nation's overcrowded prisons reach '
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Britain's soft justice scandal: Career criminals with more than 100 previous convictions are being SPARED jail - with the number almost tripling in 16 years as the nation's overcrowded prisons reach '

Daily Mail  

Hardened criminals with more than 100 previous convictions are being spared jail as Britain's overcrowded prisons reach 'breaking point'. HMP Wandsworth is one of the most overcrowded prisons in the country, running at more than 150% capacity Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced a series of measures designed to ease overcrowding in jails and avert a 'total breakdown of law and …

Violence, self-harm and widespread drug use: Figures lay bare the crisis facing Britain’s prisons
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Violence, self-harm and widespread drug use: Figures lay bare the crisis facing Britain’s prisons

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood claimed the government had ‘no option’ but …

Prisoners trapped on indeterminate jail terms not included in Labour government’s sentencing review
5 months, 2 weeks ago

Prisoners trapped on indeterminate jail terms not included in Labour government’s sentencing review

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Prisoners facing indefinite sentences will …

Labour unveils plan to free prisoners after just 40% of sentences: New Justice Secretary says overcrowding could cause 'breakdown of law and order' despite warnings she is 'gambling with public safety
5 months, 3 weeks ago

Labour unveils plan to free prisoners after just 40% of sentences: New Justice Secretary says overcrowding could cause 'breakdown of law and order' despite warnings she is 'gambling with public safety

Daily Mail  

Labour was accused of taking a 'dangerous gamble with public safety' today as the government unveiled plans to release thousands of prisoners early. But Keir Starmer's new justice minister Lord Timpson fuelled fury at the 'anti-prison' approach as he suggested that courts should be handing out shorter sentences in the first place. Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to unveil …

UK’s new justice secretary outlines emergency measures to relieve prison overcrowding
5 months, 4 weeks ago

UK’s new justice secretary outlines emergency measures to relieve prison overcrowding

Associated Press  

LONDON — Britain’s new justice secretary on Friday outlined emergency plans to relieve prison overcrowding, clearing the way for early release of thousands of prisoners to ensure the beleaguered system continues to function. “Even with new prisons being built, capacity is not expected to grow anything like that fast: Only around 4,400 new spaces are planned — but this is …

Starmer has no option but to reduce prisoner sentences or risk justice system collapse, unions warn
5 months, 4 weeks ago

Starmer has no option but to reduce prisoner sentences or risk justice system collapse, unions warn

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sir Keir Starmer’s new government has “no other alternative” but to …

Prisons are in a 'shocking' state, Sir Keir Starmer warns - as Labour government prepares to start letting thousands of inmates out early to ease overcrowding
5 months, 4 weeks ago

Prisons are in a 'shocking' state, Sir Keir Starmer warns - as Labour government prepares to start letting thousands of inmates out early to ease overcrowding

Daily Mail  

Prisons are in a 'shocking' state, Sir Keir Starmer said last night as the Labour government prepares to start letting thousands of inmates out early to ease overcrowding. Sir Keir Starmer revealed the situation in jails across England and Wales is 'worse than I thought' and branded Conservative ministers 'reckless' for not tackling the crisis when they were in power …

Prisons crisis ‘worse than thought’ warns Starmer, with no guarantee on early release for dangerous criminals
5 months, 4 weeks ago

Prisons crisis ‘worse than thought’ warns Starmer, with no guarantee on early release for dangerous criminals

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sir Keir Starmer has said that an urgent plan is to …

Police chiefs defy calls to arrest fewer people to ease prison overcrowding crisis
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Police chiefs defy calls to arrest fewer people to ease prison overcrowding crisis

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery The Met will ‘never agree’ …

Police told to arrest fewer people to ease prison overcrowding
7 months, 2 weeks ago

Police told to arrest fewer people to ease prison overcrowding

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The newspaper said it obtained an internal document from the National Police Chiefs’ Council …

Criminal suspects will be freed on bail instead of being remanded in custody because the Ministry of Justice is running out of prison spaces, senior lawyers fear
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Criminal suspects will be freed on bail instead of being remanded in custody because the Ministry of Justice is running out of prison spaces, senior lawyers fear

Daily Mail  

Criminal suspects will be freed on bail rather than being placed in custody because the prisons are full, senior lawyers have warned. The Law society said delays in court hearings ordered by the Ministry of Justice to ease prison overcrowding would mean some suspects would be given bail rather than remanded in custody, the Telegraph reported. The overcrowding crisis has …

Emergency measure to postpone court hearings as prisons run out of cells
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Emergency measure to postpone court hearings as prisons run out of cells

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “What is crystal clear is the prison spaces crisis is a consequence of the …

Criminals gaming the justice system as cases jammed for years in court backlog
10 months, 4 weeks ago

Criminals gaming the justice system as cases jammed for years in court backlog

The Independent  

Sign up for the Independent Women email for the latest news, opinion and features Get the Independent Women email for free Get the Independent Women email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. My concern is of a complete collapse in public confidence in the system.” Fewer suspects pleading …

Chief prisons inspector: Overcrowding is a ticking time bomb
1 year ago

Chief prisons inspector: Overcrowding is a ticking time bomb

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. In an interview with The Independent, His Majesty’s chief inspector …

Criminals released from prison could be left free to kill as overstretched probation service in crisis
1 year, 1 month ago

Criminals released from prison could be left free to kill as overstretched probation service in crisis

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Zara Aleena was murdered in June 2022 after multiple failings …

Ministers cut the amount of time offenders have to declare convictions
1 year, 2 months ago

Ministers cut the amount of time offenders have to declare convictions

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said having to declare unspent convictions years after being released …

Justice Secretary to take ‘decisive action’ over indefinite prison sentences
1 year, 2 months ago

Justice Secretary to take ‘decisive action’ over indefinite prison sentences

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Justice Secretary has said he will take “decisive action” …

Low-level offenders to be spared jail to free up space in overcrowded prisons
1 year, 2 months ago

Low-level offenders to be spared jail to free up space in overcrowded prisons

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Mr Chalk accepted that the custodial system was “under …

Overdoses double at prison where inmates say it’s ‘easy’ to get drugs
1 year, 2 months ago

Overdoses double at prison where inmates say it’s ‘easy’ to get drugs

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Drug overdoses nearly …

Just 557 prison spaces left as jailed population hits new all-time high
1 year, 2 months ago

Just 557 prison spaces left as jailed population hits new all-time high

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. There are just 557 spaces left across the entire prison …

‘Inevitable’ prison spaces will run out as judges ‘delay sentencings’ to avoid overwhelming system
1 year, 2 months ago

‘Inevitable’ prison spaces will run out as judges ‘delay sentencings’ to avoid overwhelming system

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. But the Prison Governors Association told The Independent it believed “without a shadow of …

Criminals in the UK may be freed early to ease overcrowding as prison crisis laid bare
1 year, 3 months ago

Criminals in the UK may be freed early to ease overcrowding as prison crisis laid bare

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Talk of the drastic measure comes as: Latest figures show …

Broken justice system laid bare as prisoners forced to wait five years in jail before trial
1 year, 3 months ago

Broken justice system laid bare as prisoners forced to wait five years in jail before trial

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery The remand system is ‘a runaway s***show’, HMP Wandsworth’s former …

Criminals will be forced to face sentencing after killers ‘take coward’s way out’
1 year, 4 months ago

Criminals will be forced to face sentencing after killers ‘take coward’s way out’

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Announcing the reform on Wednesday, …

Government warned over prison overcrowding as suicides soar
1 year, 5 months ago

Government warned over prison overcrowding as suicides soar

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We cannot end up in a situation where men are simply warehoused in appalling …

Magistrates’ sentencing powers cut back down to 6 months
1 year, 9 months ago

Magistrates’ sentencing powers cut back down to 6 months

The Telegraph  

Magistrates are to lose their power to jail offenders for up to a year and will be pushed back to maximum sentences of only six months after the Ministry of Justice ended a scheme designed to speed up justice. But the MoJ quietly laid out new regulations on Thursday which will peg magistrates back to a maximum of six months …

Met ‘failed to persuade Londoners it was ruthless in maintaining standards’
1 year, 10 months ago

Met ‘failed to persuade Londoners it was ruthless in maintaining standards’

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Metropolitan Police “failed” to persuade Londoners it was “ruthless” …

Devon and Cornwall Police told to make urgent improvements by watchdog
1 year, 11 months ago

Devon and Cornwall Police told to make urgent improvements by watchdog

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The police watchdog has told Devon and Cornwall Police it …

Stop barristers’ strike or defendants must be released from prison, High Court rules
2 years, 3 months ago

Stop barristers’ strike or defendants must be released from prison, High Court rules

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Dame Victoria Sharp KC, president of the King’s Bench Division, and Mr Justice Chamberlain …

MPs call for an overhaul of IPP jail sentences
2 years, 3 months ago

MPs call for an overhaul of IPP jail sentences

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Commons Justice Committee said …

Raft of major justice reforms come into force
2 years, 6 months ago

Raft of major justice reforms come into force

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Changes in the law aimed at keeping serious sexual and …

Magistrates’ sentencing powers doubled in bid to tackle courts backlog
2 years, 8 months ago

Magistrates’ sentencing powers doubled in bid to tackle courts backlog

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Call for Government to show ‘more ambition’ in tackling low rape prosecutions
2 years, 8 months ago

Call for Government to show ‘more ambition’ in tackling low rape prosecutions

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Government needs “much more ambition and focus” to tackle …

Magistrates to be given power to jail offenders for up to a year to help clear court delays
2 years, 11 months ago

Magistrates to be given power to jail offenders for up to a year to help clear court delays

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Defendants will still have the right to demand an “either way” case to be …

Coronavirus could lead to rising crime, watchdogs warn
3 years, 11 months ago

Coronavirus could lead to rising crime, watchdogs warn

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. HM chief inspectors of prisons, policing, probation and the Crown Prosecution Service said lockdowns …

Sentencing White Paper: Government unveils plans to keep offenders in prisons for longer after warning jails are running out of space
4 years, 3 months ago

Sentencing White Paper: Government unveils plans to keep offenders in prisons for longer after warning jails are running out of space

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The new sentencing white paper proposes changes that would force sexual and violent criminals …

I was a teenage prisoner and saw first-hand how the criminal justice system fails to reform offenders
4 years, 11 months ago

I was a teenage prisoner and saw first-hand how the criminal justice system fails to reform offenders

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The UK criminal justice system doesn’t work. During …

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