What is the longest time people can be kept in police cells?

Facile Princeps

Under new legislation soon to arrive at a police station near you..you can be detained for 42 days..so watch it sonny

CLIVE H

Take my advice - if you get banged up by the fuzz, spend as much time as possible just sleeping - times soon goes.

Lee Peter

You don't say were you are but if your in England the coppers in the police courts(magistrates )just keep renewing 3 or 4 day periods and my friend was once in without charge for 2 and half week and then charged and later found not guilty,lost his marriage contact with kids and his home and received no compo,this was 1988 so much for British justice mate

Anna1223

I just had to write all that for an essay. Finished it Wed night and went out to London to get drunk last night and still feel bad but I'll try and write it clear.

The basic maximum period of detention without charge is 24 hours from the time of the suspects arrival at the police station (PACE Section 42).

If the offence under investigation is an indictable offence further detention up to 36 hours can be authorised by a superintendent on certain specified grounds.

If the offence is an indictable offence, detention beyond 36 hours can be authorised by a magistrates' court on the granting of a warrant of a further detention.

A warrant may initially be granted for a period not exceeding 36 hours, but can be extended for further periods until 96 hours have expired on the detention clock (PACE section 44). This is an absolute maximum period of detention without charge.
A review of detention must be carried out by an inspector (who has not been directly involved with the investigation) within six hours of detention being first authorised and thereafter at nine hourly intervals (PACE section 40).

In any period of 24 hours, a detained person must be allowed a continuous period of at least eight hours' rest. This period should normally be at night. ( Code C para. 12.2)

Your room- If possible you should be kept in a room on your own. It should be clean, warm and lit. Your bedding should be clean and in good order. You must be allowed to have a wash.

There are two grounds of police detention prior to charge; that the custody officer has reasonable grounds for believing that such detention is ' necessary to secure or preserve evidence relating to an offence for which he is under arrest or to obtain such evidence by questioning him' PACE section 37 (2). Otherwise, the suspect should be realeased without charge. A suspect can, therefore, be detained for samples to be taken or while premises are searched. The most common ground for detention without charge is to question the suspect.

There are more things about clothes and that. Look under 8.5 on here http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:8bWTeVgATg0J:police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/operational-policing/previous-PACE-codes-2005/PACE_Chapter_C.pdf%3Fview%3DBinary+PACE+conditions+of+detention+1984&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=uk

You should be given a Notice of Entitlements. You have the right to consult the Codes of Practice and you should be given a written notice setting out your rights. Any refusal must be recorded on the custody record.

Here is the full Act of Parliament: http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/legResults.aspx?LegType=All%20Primary&PageNumber=5&BrowseLetter=P&NavFrom=1&activeTextDocId=1871554

Croxx

42 days now.

cyberangel77uk

yes they can keep you in over weekend as long as your at least 17 yo , its worse when it a bank holiday as they can keep you til the tuesday

mad keith

once you are charged you will be kept in the police cell until the next available court in your case this is correct
you do the crime mate then you have to give up the comforts of home maybe you will think twice before committing another crime

ed209

There are 2 separate tones to your question. How long the police can hold you to investigate a crime is different from you being held be the police due to prison overcrowding.

As far as prison overcrowding goes you can be held in police custody for as long as it takes to find you a space at a suitable prison. This usually takes a day or two but since you have been sentenced in theory you could be kept there for as long as it takes. It is unlikely that you would remain at a police site for too long as the facilities at many are very limited and a breach of human rights would no doubt be claimed.

That said until some people learn to act like humans maybe they shouldnt have the privilege of these rights!

Internet Explorer

4 weeks here.

JAMES C

24 hours unless a supeintendent authority is granted and then it is 36 can be extended by magistrate to 72.

Terrorism on the other hand is 28days and is in the process of being made up to 42days

Captain Sarcasm

If you can't do the time then don't do the crime. No sympathy, suffer for your sins!

leslie S

In my lockup once charged you are usually only kept until the next court. I'm in a very big city and the county has court for "overnighters" daily, 365.
Now if you are under investigation before final charging then we have 24 hours to make our case for charging in major felonies. After 24 hours the probable cause for arrest is reviewed by much higher ups to allow for another 24 hours. If more time is needed a judge must approve another 24 hours. So up to 3 full days, 72 hours, but that is rare.
If you are set to go to court but miss it because you claim to be sick you usually have to wait until the next day.

Katherine T

Dont Know but good luck with your friend

Neil H

42 days in th uk but that only covers terrorism so it depends on what u did ?

Bill H

How's Bubba?

Ian UK

I really feel for you not being able to have luxuries at my expense when you've committed a crime.

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