Back to thread: have the "Army" not done this before, when Aunty's Dens of Correction were full to bursting? ISTR places like Beckingham, Westdown Camp, Knook, and others such places being pressed into service as temporary nicks and being staffed by military type police, PTI's and other such applicable spare bods.
Not just Army. I recall in about 81-83 losing our sqn discip sgt for a while as he played prison warder.