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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Crisis talks on jail overcrowding | Crisis talks on jail overcrowding |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Prison officials are due to meet John Reid in a bid to avoid an overcrowding crisis, amid fears all jails in England and Wales will be full by next week. | Prison officials are due to meet John Reid in a bid to avoid an overcrowding crisis, amid fears all jails in England and Wales will be full by next week. |
| The home secretary will be asked to look into releasing some prisoners early to free up space. | The home secretary will be asked to look into releasing some prisoners early to free up space. |
| Other options he will be asked to consider include deporting some of the 10,000 foreign inmates, or using police station cells. | |
| There are almost 79,800 prisoners with room for just 200 more. | There are almost 79,800 prisoners with room for just 200 more. |
| The prison population rose by 357 during the last week. | |
| Early release | |
| Mr Reid will meet Prison Service chief Phil Wheatley and Helen Edwards, head of the National Offender Management Service, to try to resolve the situation. | Mr Reid will meet Prison Service chief Phil Wheatley and Helen Edwards, head of the National Offender Management Service, to try to resolve the situation. |
| The policy of using police cells - of which 500 could be made available - is known as Operation Safeguard. | The policy of using police cells - of which 500 could be made available - is known as Operation Safeguard. |
| The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) says the plan is in place but has not yet been activated. | The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) says the plan is in place but has not yet been activated. |
| In August the Prison Officers' Association (POA) warned of rising tensions at HMP Manchester, formerly Strangeways where there was a 25-day riot in 1990. | |
| The prison was housing nearly 300 more inmates than recommended. | |
| The Home Office was also drawing up plans to release thousands of prisoners 10 days early to free up cells in overcrowded jails in England and Wales. | |
| Edward Leigh, head of the Commons' Public Accounts Committee, has called for more foreign prisoners to be deported to help tackle prison overcrowding. |