Rishi Sunak is facing a backlash on prisons today after the government triggered an emergency overcrowding plan.

Contingency measures to keep defendants in police custody or release them on bail rather than remanding them in prisons have been activated.

Downing Street insisted Operation Early Dawn was deployed 'from time to time to manage immediate localised pressures on the estate'.

However, Mr Sunak came under fire over the 'chaos' in the system at PMQs, with Keir Starmer demanding assurances that domestic abusers and other serious offenders will not be freed early.

He was seizing on a separate policy to allow 'low-level offenders' out of prison up to 18 days early under strict supervision.

Ministers have been preparing to extend the scheme for a second time so some criminals could be freed from jail up to 70 days before their release date.

But concerns have been raised that serious offenders have been let out early, despite ministers stressing that should not be happening.  

Contingency measures to keep defendants in police custody or release them on bail rather than remanding them in prisons have been activated (file picture)

Mr Sunak came under fire over the 'chaos' in the system at PMQs, with Keir Starmer demanding assurances that domestic abusers and other serious offenders will not be freed early

Sir Keir said: 'Does the early release of stalkers, domestic abusers and those considered a risk to children sound like the work of someone who is making the country more secure?'

Mr Sunak replied: 'No-one should be put on this scheme if they are a threat to the public.

'And let me be crystal clear, it does not apply to anyone serving a life sentence, anyone convicted of a serious violent offence, anyone convicted of terrorism, anyone convicted of a sex offence and, crucially, in contrast to the system Labour put in place, governors in the prison service have an absolute lock so that no-one is put on the scheme who shouldn't be.'

Mr Sunak went on to criticise the efforts of previous Labour governments, with Sir Keir countering: 'I'm glad to hear those on life sentences aren't being released early.

'He may not think that releasing domestic abusers is a problem but Labour has repeatedly called for domestic abusers to be exempt from his scheme to release prisoners early.

'His Government has shamefully ignored those calls.'

Mr Sunak repeated there is an 'absolute governor lock' on who is put on the scheme before defending the Government's approach and claiming a Labour frontbencher believes 'prison doesn't prevent crime'.

He added: 'It's always the same with the Labour Party, soft on crime and soft on criminals.'

Sir Keir said: 'He's literally letting criminals out early and the only answer to the question I asked – whether domestic abusers should be exempt from his early release scheme, from anyone serious about security – is yes.'

Sir Keir went on the attack over prisons at the weekly PMQs session today

A report into HMP Lewes released earlier this week warned that the overcrowding scheme in England and Wales is causing 'high-risk' offenders to be let out, some of whom are a 'risk to children'.

The chief inspector of prisons found that 'safe risk management' is being undermined.

Downing Street dismissed the idea that Mr Sunak needed to correct the record based on the findings of the report.

No10 also denied there was a contradiction between letting some offenders out of jail early while introducing longer prison sentences for those convicted of the most serious crimes.

The PM's spokesman said: 'These are two sides of the same coin… We are taking action to lock up the worst offenders for longer and in order to ensure that we can put the worst offenders away for longer we must make sure that there are sufficient spaces to lock up the most dangerous criminals.'

The public affairs director of the Law Society said the Government activating emergency measures meant hearings in magistrates courts are being cancelled and postponed at the last minute.

David McNeill told the BBC World At One programme he was hearing 'quite disturbing accounts' from members in courts describing the situation as 'administrative carnage.'

He said he is seeking further information from the Ministry of Justice, adding he understands there is one scheme related to releasing prisoners early 'at the back end' and another measure to control 'the front end' of the prison system – the flow of cases through the courts.

'We're particularly worried today because there's a new measure, which is at the front end of the prison system, which is a step that had been taken to reduce the flow of people going into custody.

'And again, we had some very scant details given to us yesterday afternoon, and subsequently very little more, but effectively, the impact of that means that cases which would have normally gone to the magistrate's court today are being cancelled.

'So we're having victims, witnesses, lawyers and defendants turning up at magistrates courts today only to find that the case has been cancelled and delayed to some point in the future.'