The Director of Public Prosecutions has said the criminal justice system requires “considerable investment” as hundreds of jailed rioters continue to put pressure on overcrowded prisons.
In a piece for the Times newspaper, Stephen Parkinson defended the “brisk” nature of the disorder prosecutions – saying cases such as rape and domestic violence take longer to build and are more “complex”.
Following a large number of rioters being jailed over the past few weeks, Operation Early Dawn, a long-standing plan which allows defendants to be held in police cells and not summon them to magistrates’ court until a space in prison is available, was activated for the North of England on Monday.
The SDS40 scheme, which will exclude sex offences and serious violence offences that have resulted in at least four years in prison, is due to be reviewed after 18 months, and will see 5,500 released between September and October this year.
A Ministry of Justice (MoJ) spokesman said everyone released will be “strictly monitored” and face “tough licence conditions”, such as electronic tagging and curfews.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said the Government continues to anticipate that suspects will be held in a police cell “no longer than a day after being charged” despite Operation Early Dawn being triggered.
Questioned on the maximum length of time someone could expect to be held in a police cell rather than being taken to magistrates’ courts, Ms Stevens said: “We would anticipate that this should be no longer than a day after being charged.
“That’s the basis on which we’re working. Anyone who poses a risk to the public will obviously not be bailed.
“They’ll be held in a police station until they’re summoned to court, and that should be no later than the day after being charged.”
In his article for the Times, Mr Parkinson said the swift justice seen in the case of rioters over recent weeks requires “considerable investment”.
He wrote: “Some may ask why all crime isn’t punished so briskly.
“Some cases take longer because they are complex.
“Not every crime is as obvious as pushing a flaming wheelie bin at police, or is captured on multiple body-worn cameras.
“Crimes like rape and domestic violence often take deeper, specialist work to build a case and ultimately prove — something we are working with police to do better.
“And candidly, in the long term, swift justice at the pace and scale we have seen in recent days requires considerable investment in the criminal justice system.”
More rioters are expected to appear in court across the country on Tuesday – including in Sheffield, Manchester, Bristol, Hull, Teesside, Stafford and London.
An MoJ spokesman said: “We inherited a prison system in crisis and have taken difficult but necessary action to make sure we can keep locking up dangerous criminals and protect the public, and since then the Probation Service has been planning for these releases.
“Everyone released will be strictly monitored, face tough licence conditions like electronic tagging and curfews and could be recalled to prison if they breach licence conditions.”
