Cell Phones: An Update.
We're hoping you can help us update our coverage of what has been a serious problem in UK prisons: .
According to published , smuggled phones remain a concern:
Whilst the prison is valiantly attempting to curb the supply of drugs, the issue of mobile phones continues to be ignored by the PrisonService
We reported on the problem of smuggled phones in jail at the end of last year. The IMB report calls for more to be done to limit the use of phones in jail:
For the past three years in this report we have asked the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Office and then the Ministry of Justice to implement an effective jamming system to curtail the use of mobile phones. We have been promised that trials are taking place but nothing is happening in the large Local prisons to jam the use of mobile phones. Within Wandsworth it is estimated that the drugs trade would be halved if phones were jammed...Phones are not just used to drive the drugs trade in Wandsworth. We have seen a phone seized by Security which had the most graphic and violent images...
The government has promoted the use of , but the report claims its affect has been limited:
We had very high hopes last year that the BOSS (Bodily Orifice Security Scanner) chair would be used to try and detect more phones being brought in by prisoners. Unfortunately it has hardly been used at all.
There's a response from . If you know about this issue please do get in touch, particularly if you've direct experience of the problem from within the prison system.
Email us
Listen to iPM