Quote:Brit prisoners could be sent to Estonian jails after numbers hit record high

Estonia's minister of justice says cells are available to rent out in the Blatic nation - should Britain
need a hand to deal with the overcrowding crisis triggered by far-right riots



'British prisoners may be at risk of being shipped off to Estonia after the number of criminals jailed in
England and Wales hit a record high of 88,350 – following nationwide riots sparked by the Southport
attack in July.

Estonia's minister of justice, Liisa Pakosta, says there’s enough room in Estonian jails, with cells
available to rent out, should Britain need a hand to deal with the crisis. It follows pleas to judges to
refrain from sending people to jail over low-level crimes – with some now set for an early release to
tackle the overcrowding problem in Britain's prisons.

According to Ms Pakosta, the scheme could be worth £25 million to Estonia, with both Britain and
Sweden reportedly already in talks to send prisoners over to the Baltic nation. She said: “Half of the
spaces are empty. And it is true that I've submitted a memo to the government cabinet for discussion,
to choose the direction of the solution with which to proceed.”

As of August 30, England and Wales reported 88,350 prisoners – the highest number since 2011.
It comes after a wave of far-right riots erupted across the country, sparked by the Southport stabbings,
with hundreds of arrests made and many convictions ongoing.

Ministers were forced to activate 'Operation Early Dawn' last week, sparking an emergency response
to avoid overcrowding as more rioters continue to be thrown into jail. The plan, described as a "one in,
one out" policy, has already been rolled out in the North of England and allows defendants to be held
in police cells – and not summoned to magistrates' court until a space in prison becomes available.

Labour has already announced plans to cut inmates’ jail sentences from 50% to 40% since coming
into power. The temporary move is due to start on September 10 and is set to see 5,500 offenders
being released in September and October.

The plan does not apply to more serious crimes, including criminals convicted of sex offences, terrorism,
domestic abuse and some other violent offences. Inmates released early will serve the remainder of
their terms under “strict” licensing conditions in their communities...'