A recent post on X, which has garnered over 36 million views at the time of this fact-check, claims that the UK is planning to release 5,000 prisoners, including some violent offenders, to make room for anti-immigration protesters. This claim emerged after over 1,000 people were arrested following violent anti-Islamic and anti-immigration protests across the British Isles.

The post features a video excerpt from a BBC broadcast, where a man discusses prison overcrowding and outlines the “Operation Early Dawn” initiative. This strategy employs a “one in, one out” approach, holding individuals in police cells until a prison cell becomes available to manage limited capacity and ensure necessary incarcerations.

 

Recent protests in the UK

Anti-immigration protests erupted in the UK after three girls were murdered in Southport on 29 July 2024. Initial reports falsely claimed that the attack was carried out by a newly arrived radical Muslim immigrant, a rumour that was later debunked as online misinformation. A 17-year-old British citizen, born in the Welsh city of Cardiff, was subsequently charged with the murders.

Falsehoods around the attacker’s identity quickly circulated across the UK, amassing a reported 15.7 million views on social media. Controversial internet personality Andrew Tate shared a photograph of an unrelated individual, falsely asserting that the attacker was “straight off the boat” – a derogatory reference to migrants crossing the English Channel to seek asylum in the UK, which has drawn the ire of conservative and anti-immigration groups in the country.

The widespread misinformation propagated by far-right commentators, including  Tommy Robinson and Reform Party leader Nigel Farage, incited protests targeting hotels housing asylum seekers, community centres, and even mosques in major cities such as London, Manchester, and Belfast. The protests escalated into violence and arson, resulting in numerous arrests by the police.

Background of the video

We conducted a reverse image search of screenshots from the social media clip and traced them to a BBC Breakfast interview with Mark Fairhurst, National Chairman of the UK Prison Officers’ Association, on 19 August 2024.

In the full interview, the BBC reported that the prison population in England and Wales had reached 87,893, nearing the maximum capacity of 89,191. Fairhurst shared how “Operation Early Dawn”, which was activated on 19 August 2024, aims to alleviate the “enormous pressure” on the prison system, exacerbated by the recent surge in arrests during the riots.

A prison system in crisis

Upon further research, we found that temporary measures for early inmate release were discussed in the UK Parliament on 18 July 2024, before the violent incident in Southport. Addressing the House of Commons, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Shabana Mahmood noted that male prisons had been operating at 99% capacity for over 18 months and warned that the prison system could exceed its capacity by September 2024.

To address this, Mahmood outlined a “temporary statutory change in the law” allowing the early release of some prisoners after serving 40% of their sentences, down from the previous 50%, starting in September 2024. Released inmates would be subject to stringent monitoring including electronic tagging and curfews.

Under this initiative, approximately 5,500 prisoners are expected to be released in September and October 2024. However, those convicted of serious violent offences (including domestic abuse), sexual crimes, and crimes related to national security will not be eligible for early release.

Operation Early Dawn

In response to the surge in arrests during the recent riots, “Operation Early Dawn” was implemented on 19 August 2024. This initiative involves a coordinated effort by the Prison Service, courts, and police to assess which accused can be transferred from police cells to court and then to prison. The goal is to ensure that a secure location is available if a defendant is remanded in custody. As a result, individuals awaiting court appearances may be held in police cells for longer periods until prison space becomes available.

Although an estimated 5,500 prisoners will be released under temporary early-release measures, it is misleading to suggest that these actions were taken solely to accommodate the arrests of protesters from the recent UK riots. The early release plan was proposed before the riots to address ongoing prison overcrowding, with “Operation Early Dawn” introduced later to manage the increased number of arrests. Additionally, the claim that violent criminals will be released early under this scheme is false. Therefore, we rate the claim that the UK is planning to release 5,000 prisoners, including some violent offenders, to make room for anti-immigration protesters as false.

The recent UK riots demonstrate how false claims can escalate tensions and lead to real-world consequences like protests and violence. Misleading information about the attacker’s identity, propagated by individuals with their own agendas, incited violence and polarised communities. This situation underscores the vital need to verify information and avoid spreading unverified claims, as misinformation and disinformation can significantly disrupt communities and intensify societal conflicts.