Prison bosses will make room for a possible influx of arrested demonstrators this weekend amid concerns that some jails are close to full, the head of the national governors’ body has revealed.
The police have threatened to arrest hundreds of supporters of the banned group Palestine Action, who plan to protest in London this weekend. There are also at least eight planned demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum seekers.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that it has initiated “capacity gold command” as it attempts to manage the use of individual prison cells, with jails across England and Wales 97.5% full.
Capacity gold command is initiated when the number of prisoners across the estate reaches critical levels. It allows an appointed gold commander to monitor every out-of-use cell, direct moves into and out of prisons and maximise the use of open prisons and home detention curfews.
Government sources said the justice department has re-examined the possibility of launching Operation Early Dawn, which would allow defendants to be held in police cells until prison beds became available and could mean their court dates are delayed or adjourned at short notice.
Tom Wheatley, the president of the Prison Governors’ Association, said he is concerned about the impact on prisons of possible public order events after the riots in 2024 after the Southport murders.
He added: “Any spike in the numbers of people remanded in custody will have an impact on prisons. HMPPS HQ is again operating ‘capacity gold command’ arrangements to direct governors to move prisoners to ensure capacity is available. 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. 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.”
Sources said capacity gold command was activated in February 2023 and ended in September 2024, when the Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary and lord chancellor, initiated an early release scheme.
Because of overcrowding, a source said it was reactivated in March this year so that senior officials and ministers are informed about individual cell space.
A protest against the ban on Palestine Action will go ahead in London on Saturday, organisers have confirmed, despite the police saying they will carry out mass detentions.
Defend Our Juries, a pressure group campaigning to lift the ban on Palestine Action under terrorism laws, said on Tuesday that more than 500 people had committed to holding up signs reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action’, as part of the protest.
The group said the event would go ahead as planned after the “conditional commitment requirement” had been reached.
More than 200 people have been arrested in response to the proscription of the group last month. The location of Saturday’s protest has not been made known.
The Metropolitan police made clear the force would arrest anyone breaking terrorism laws, as Downing Street urged people not to attend any protest.
The demonstration has been organised to protest against the decision by the home secretary, Yvette Cooper, to ban the organisation last month after activists caused what police said was £7m of damage to jets at RAF Brize Norton.
Police are braced for further protests and disorder across the UK, as anti-migrant demonstrations continue outside hotels housing asylum-seekers.
At least four protests have been organised for the upcoming week in locations such as Bournemouth, Southampton and Portsmouth, with tensions rising further after clashes over the weekend.
Far-right groups also plan to protest outside at least eight migrant hotels on Friday as part of a “no asylum day” of action.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Capacity gold has been used for many months in the management of capacity pressure in the prison estate.
“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.”
