Crowded prisons are making room for a possible influx of arrested protestors ahead of a weekend of demonstrations. At least eight demos are planned outside migrant hotels, while police have also warned of mass arrests if a protest against the ban on Palestine Action as a terror organisation goes ahead in Londonon Saturday.
Tom Wheatley, president of the Prison Governors’ Association, said arrangements are in place to enable the movement of prisoners to “ensure capacity is available” amid concerns some prisons are nearly full. He said: “Governors in reception prisons will be directed to move prisoners over the weekend in order to create space. This will mean sometimes moving prisoners long distances to prisons that have room to create it in those that don’t.”
Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Wheatley added: “This is far from ideal in that resettling prisoners from prisons a long way from where they are going to live on release is difficult logistically and less likely to be successful.”
The president of the national governors’ body said the HM Prison and Probation Service HQ is operating “capacity gold command” arrangements.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed to The Guardian that it had been initiated.
Capacity gold command is launched when the number of prisoners across the estate reaches critical levels and allows an appointed gold commander to monitor every-out-of-use cell and direct moves into and out of prisons.
It also permits them to maximise the use of open prisons and home detention curfews, per reports.
Prisons across England and Wales are said to be at 97.5% capacity and Mr Wheatley warned “any spike” in the amount of people remanded in custody “will have an impact”.
Organisers of Saturday’s protest in support of Palestine Action say it will go ahead, with more than 500 people expected to take part.
The Metropolitan Police has warned that anyone found to be expressing support for Palestine Action “can expect to be arrested” following the Government’s decision to ban the organisation last month.
Defend Our Juries said those taking part will hold “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” signs through central London, adding the protest will take place as planned after the “conditional commitment requirement” was reached.
An MoJ spokesperson told The Guardian that capacity gold command has been used “for many months” in managing “capacity pressure” in prisons.
“The swift and coordinated response to last year’s unrest shows the criminal justice system is prepared to act quickly if needed to maintain stability and keep the public safe,” the spokesperson said.
The newspaper reported that sources said it had been reactivated in March due to overcrowding.
It had purportedly been in place from February 2023 to September 2024 when it ended as an early release scheme was launched.