Courts told to delay sending criminals to crowded jails

MAGISTRATES have been asked to stop jailing criminals for several weeks in a bid to ease pressure on overcrowded prisons.

-  Jessica Coates

Lord Justice Sir Nicholas Green, the deputy senior presiding judge for England and Wales, issued a "listing direction" to the managers of magistrates' courts.

It advised that offenders likely to be jailed should have sentencing postponed until the Government's early release scheme comes into effect on September 10.

The Ministry of Justice said the guidelines did not apply to high-risk offenders already on remand. It added in a statement: "The new Government inherited a prisons crisis and this is yet another sign of the pressures our justice system is facing.