The Government is considering plans for cells in supermarkets and at major sporting stadiums to deal with shoplifters and football hooligans.
Mobile jails could also be used to deal with protesters at major defence sites.
The Home Office said it is looking at plans for "short-term holding facilities" that could be used to lock up and process suspects.
A spokesman said there is a need for "strict criteria" to decide who could be held in such cells.
He said: "We need to establish very strict criteria for the types of offenders and types of offences for which short-term holding facilities could be an option."
"The potential impact of any perceived lowering of the standards of custodial care is a key issue
"The 'designated police station' under PACE (The Police and Criminal Evidence Act) is seen as an important safeguard for the suspect/detainee and any departure from this would require very strong supporting evidence."
It is reported that police and retailers are supporting the move for so-called "Tesco jails", which would allow suspects to be held for up to four hours for them to be identified, a DNA sample taken, or for a caution to be given.
The cells would allow suspects to be processed quickly and allow police back on the streets.
A spokesman for the British Retail Consortium said: "It should be compulsory for retail shopping centres to provide these facilities and it is vital that they operate against strict criteria."
