‘Jail officers sell mobile phones to prisoners’
POLICE are investigating allegations prison officers are selling mobile phones for £400 to drug dealers in Wales’ biggest privately-run jail.
Inmates at Bridgend’s 2,000inmate Parc Prison claimed prisoners were able to post photos on to Facebook because they were being supplied by guards.
Last year one Facebook page called Parc Banter was shut down after we brought it to the attention of the authorities.
G4S has since referred the matter to South Wales Police and the force has confirmed it is investigating.
An MP and two AMs have called for a full investigation.
One prisoner, who admitted they were inside for peddling narcotics, told our reporter: “It’s the prison officers bringing them in to us.”
He alleged they were getting them into the Category B lock-up by removing metal components to get them through security. “Loads of us have phones,” the prisoner said.
He listed a number of prisoners, many of whom we have reported on for their involvement in drug crime.
We are not naming them, or the prison officers he made allegations against, for legal reasons.
The prisoner sent a video of one inmate showing off a mobile phone made by JCB – better known for making construction equipment.
He claimed phones were being used to manage Facebook pages and for Snapchat. Parc Prison is in the Bridgend constituency of MP Madeleine Moon, and she said: “This is something the prison service needs to get on top of quickly. I will be speaking to the management of G4S and Parc.
She said the claims were “extremely worrying. It is one thing to set up a Facebook page, but if someone has been convicted of drugs offences and are able to use mobile phones, that is deeply alarming,” she said.
“An allegation of a prison officer bringing in a phone and selling it is a serious offence.”
South Wales West AM Bethan Jenkins said: “This is obviously something which needs to be addressed quickly by the authorities. This fits a worrying trend of problems emerging across the wider prison estate.”
AM Dai Lloyd added: “These allegations are hugely concerning and this type of collaboration between prison officers and prisoners not only breaches the expected standards but is also a threat to the security, order and control of the prison.
“There clearly needs to be an investigation.”
A South Wales Police spokesman said: “This matter will be looked into.” HM Prison Parc director Janet Wallsgrove said: “We can confirm that our colleagues within HM Prison and Probation Service have shut down a Facebook account following pictures being posted by a prisoner at HMP Parc and all allegations have been referred to South Wales police.
“There is no place for mobile phones in prison, we will continue to seize prohibited items and work with partners to take down social media content uploaded illegally by prisoners.”
In August, Parc Prison officer Stephen George, 37, from Llanelli, was jailed for six months for messaging an inmate who had a mobile.