Ex-top cop urges use of landlines in prisons
A former police chief has backed controversial plans to give prisoners landline phones in their cells.
Graeme Pearson, former head of the Scottish Crime and Drugs Enforcement Agency, believes the move will stop the flood of illegal mobiles into prisons by reducing demand.
New figures obtained under freedom of information laws revealed that seizures of handsets have risen steadily over the last four years in Scotland’s jails, from 218 in 2014 to 274 in 2017.
Last week, think tank Reform Scotland called for Scottish prisons to offer inmates a landline phone in their cell. They believe the move will help prisoners maintain links with families and contribute towards their rehabilitation.
Ex-assistant chief constable Pearson, a former Labour MSP and justice spokesman, said the scheme could also be used to encourage good behaviour.
Pearson, however, believes the landline calls would have to be monitored.
He said: “Access to a legitimate telephone could be a privilege earned by prisoners and a facility maintained subject to the individual’s good behaviour.
“Abuse of the use of a telephone would be subject of a discipline code. Effective monitoring of telephone exchanges would also ensure individual prisoners don’t abuse the facilities to engage in cr iminal behaviour or harassment.
“Regular phone contact could enable a prisoner to shoulder their responsibilities for families on the outside by maintaining the personal links necessary to ensure a positive road to rehabilitation.”
Scottish prisoners can only access a landline phone at certain times of the day from phone booths in communal areas. They normally have to queue to use the phone and pay for the calls with a prison phone card.
In England, some prisons have already allowed landline phones in cells.
The Ministry of Justice plan to expand the number of jails with private phones from 20 to 40 in a bid to cut reoffending south of the Border.
Alison Payne, research director of Reform Scotland, defended the proposal.
She said prisoners would have to pay for all calls and submit a list of approved numbers.
Payne added: “I completely understand the immediate reaction that this is a soft touch. But that’s not what this is about.
“I t ’ s about reducing reof fending so that these prisoners are less likely to cause harm in socie t y a ga in immediately upon release.”
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) say there are no plans to introduce cell telephones in prisons in Scotland.
They added: “The SPS recognise the importance of maintaining links with a family member during their time in our care and continue to look at ways in which we can support and enhance this.”
Scot t ish Conser vat ive shadow justice secretary Liam Kerr MSP said: “With mobile phones already causing problems in our prisons, we have to be cautious about installing landlines in cells.
“Prison sentences serve as a means of punishment, deterrence and protect public safety, so anything that could jeopardise that must be carefully considered.”