JAIL CRACKDOWN ON DRUG LORDS

CRIME kingpins will have their bank accounts frozen to stop them running their illicit businesses from behind bars.

Justice Secretary David Gauke will today announce the creation of a financial crime unit to track and halt money transfers.

Prison chiefs have repeatedly warned the trade of illicit goods is fuelling soaring violence, self-harm and disorder in jails, putting inmates in debt and leaving them vulnerable to intimidation.

More than 6,500 prisoners linked to gangs are locked up – one in every 13 of the 84,100 inmates across England and Wales. Mr Gauke will tell conference: ‘My message to kingpins is this: we are already blocking your phones, putting you in isolation and now we will make sure you can’t access your money. Dealing drugs in prison will no longer be profitable because we will find your assets and we will seize them.’

Mr Gauke will also begin rolling out an employment and training programme for offenders to teach them construction skills they can use to find work when they are released. He said: ‘Getting prisoners rehabilitated will reduce crime and ensure there are fewer victims of crime.’