After Riots, England's Prison System Nearing Capacity

As judges hand down tough sentences for people involved in riots

In the wake of rioting in London and elsewhere across the country, England's prison system is nearing operational capacity. A total of 86,654 people are now behind bars, the Associated Press reports, with just 1,500 spaces left unused. Over the past week, English prisons have taken on a net gain of 700 people; 1,300 have appeared in court for riot-related charges. The prison population is rising at a rate of more than 100 people a day, the BBC reports.

The government has faced criticism that judges are handing down overly harsh sentences for rioters -- like two men who received four years in jail for trying to start a riot with Facebook posts. Another woman was sentenced to five months in jail for wearing shorts her roommate allegedly looted. This week's prison population total marks an all-time high, Agence France Presse reports.