England: Prisoners to be offered in-cell phones in crackdown on violence

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has announced a series of measures to crack down on crime and violence in English and Welsh prisons, including the wider roll-out of in-cell telephones.

Justice Secretary David Gauke revealed the new scheme and other initiatives as he announced a £30 million prisons improvement package.

At present, prisoners have to queue to use public phones on prison landings, which the UK government believes “can be the trigger for violence or fuel demand for illicit mobile phones”.

A total of £7 million will be allocated for the introduction of in-cell telephones, which are already in place in 20 prisons.

Meanwhile, £16 million will be spent on bringing prisons up to acceptable standards, £7 million will be invested in new security measures (including airport-style security scanners and phone-blocking technology), and £1 million on a new digital tool which will collate data from various agencies to produce a ‘risk rating’ for each prisoner.

Mr Gauke (pictured) said: “Once in prison, offenders deserve to live in decent, safe and secure environments. In too many parts of our prison estate today cells are dirty with peeling paint and exposed wiring, shower and toilet facilities are filthy or broken, and food serving and eating areas do not meet modern food hygiene standards.

“Decency also extends to how we treat prisoners – fairly and consistently, with time out of their cells, activities, and the opportunity to maintain family relationships.

“As Lord Farmer made clear in his ground-breaking review last year, supportive relationships are critical to achieving rehabilitation.”

Mr Gauke also outlined plans for an enhanced “incentives and earned privileges” scheme which will deliver more autonomy to governors.

For instance, a prison with excellent gym facilities could give extra access to prisoners if they engage in education and employment programmes, or revoke this if prisoners do not behave well.