PRISON PHONE SEIZURES SOAR
THE number of mobile phones seized from inmates in Welsh prisons has more than doubled in the last year – up by 121 in 12 months. Figures from the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) showed 205 devices were seized between November 2016 and October this year compared to just 84 in the previous 12 months.
A total of 133 phones were found at HM Parc Prision, the 2,000-capacity men’s prision in Bridgend – a huge rise from the previous year where 52 were found. This is the third consecutive year the private prision has seen a rise in mobile phone seizures, according to statistics released under the Freedom of Information Act.
In the same period in 2014-15 a total of 38 phones were seized.
But the facility is not alone in seeing an increase.
Cardiff prison, HMP Swansea and HMP Prescoed have all seen an upward trend in the number of phones being confiscated by guards since 2014.
HMP Cardiff, which has a smaller capacity of 800 male inmates, recorded the confiscation of 29 phones in 2014-15, then 23 the following year before seizing 44 in the latest period.
Swansea prisoners had 22 phones seized in the last 12 months – up from a tally of five in each of the two preceding years.
New ‘super-jail’ HMP Berwyn in Wrexham, which holds 2,100 inmates and opened in February, stands out because inmates are given rooms with their own laptops and phones.
However, 32 banned phones were still collected in the period from February to November this year.
The MOJ maintains the figures show guards are getting better at rooting out contraband.
But Andy Baxter, South Wales spokesman for prison guards’ trade union POA, claimed reductions in staffing levels meant more contraband was actually getting into prisons in the first place.
He said: “It’s a major problem. There are more coming in because the resources are severely reduced.
“Reductions in staff mean reductions in the amount of regular unplanned searches. The numbers of staff have been reduced to the point now all proactive searches are as good as gone and it’s only reactive searching after something happens.
“Mobile phone blockers are the way forward. The government must be prepared to put in resources to this and to look at alternatives.”
The MOJ say they introduced an enhanced reporting system in July 2015 which allowed for better reporting and recording of banned items found.
A Prison Service spokesman said: “We are determined to tackle headon the issues that undermine the safety and security of our prisons.
“We are taking decisive measures to find and block mobiles, including an investment of £2m into detection equipment, including hand-held detectors and portable detection devices. These figures highlight the success of these measures and the determination of prison staff to disrupt this behaviour.”