Prison X-ray scanner seeing success
TECHNOLOGY IS ‘STEMMING FLOW OF CONTRABAND INTO JAILS’
A NEW X-ray body scanner to stop illegal items being smuggled into HMP Lowdham Grange has already caught drugs and mobile phones.
The Ministry of Justice has installed what it describes as “game-changing X-ray technology” to “crack down on crime behind bars.”
The scanner has prevented illegal items, including drugs, a tablet and mobile phones entering HMP Lowdham Grange within months of being installed.
The technology, developed specifically for the Prison Service, allows staff to see instantly whether prisoners are attempting to smuggle in illegal contraband.
The illegal items detected would have been destined for the prison wings, fuelling an illicit prison economy and potential violence, the MOJ said.
The scanners are now in 51 prisons across England and Wales and collectively stopped more than 3,500 illegal items from getting into the hands of prisoners.
Prisons Minister, Alex Chalk MP, said: “The new technology is stemming the flow of contraband into jails and allowing staff to focus on rehabilitation.
“The scanners form part of our wider aim to transform prisons, stepping up security to cut crime and ultimately better protecting the public.”
Mark Hanson, Serco Prison Director at HMP Lowdham Grange, said: “The introduction of this new technology is having a very positive impact on our ability to intercept illegal contraband.
“We take a zero-tolerance approach to people attempting to smuggle things like phones and drugs into the prison and we work closely with the police to prosecute anyone we find doing so.”