The U.K.’s government is activating an emergency measure, called Operation Early Dawn, in an effort to combat overcrowded prisons following a surge of arrests during anti-immigration riots in recent weeks. 

The government said the emergency operation — one that was also used earlier this year by the Conservative party — would mean that offenders in the north of England and parts of the midlands will be “summoned to a magistrates’ court only when it is confirmed that a cell in the prison estate is ready for them, should they be remanded into custody,” and that the offenders will be held in police cells in the meantime.

While the move is expected to possibly delay court dates, the police insist that the operation won’t interfere with their ability to arrest criminals and that it won’t lead to bail for offenders who pose risks to public safety. 

The prisons and probation minister, Lord Timpson, said the justice system the Labour party inherited has been “in crisis and exposed to shocks.”

“As a result, we have been forced into making difficult but necessary decisions to keep it operating,” he said, adding that Operation Early Dawn will help “manage the pressure felt in some parts of the country.” 

The latest data from the National Police Chief’s Council indicate that police have made more than 1,000 arrests and have brought nearly 700 charges connected to recent nationwide unrest — and police say they expect more arrests and charges in the coming weeks as investigations progress. The riots stemmed from a mass stabbing at Southport on July 29 that left three young girls dead and 10 others injured.

The 17-year-old suspect, Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, is a British citizen whose parents are from Rwanda, as the Sun reported. False claims online that the suspect was a Muslim migrant, on top of general concerns about immigration, triggered the protests and subsequent violence. 

As part of its goal to reduce prison overcrowding to make room for rioters and those who encouraged the unrest by posting false information on social media, the government said it had made “hundreds of prison places available” and “accelerated maintenance work in other prisons.” 

The overcrowding in prisons has been a longstanding issue in the U.K. Shortly after the Labour party took over in July, it announced that it would increase prison capacity by reducing some sentences and releasing prisoners early, with exceptions that include serious violent offenses, sex offenses, and terrorism. That plan is expected to result in the early release of an estimated 5,500 offenders, starting in September and October. 

In addition to arrests related to the physical riots, the U.K. has been cracking down on people posting what has been described as “false and malicious” information, or material intended to stir up “racial hatred” on social media.

One man, Wayne O’Rourke, was sentenced on Friday to three years in prison after “pleading guilty to a charge of publishing written material to stir up racial hate,” the Lincolnshire Police said in a statement. The charges stemmed from “posts allegedly made from a social media account.” 

“This charge demonstrates that we will take fast and decisive action against anyone suspected of sharing harmful content online,” a chief superintendent, Kate Anderson, said. “This action shows that everyone is responsible for their actions — whether they be in public, or online.”