US Edition
Drugs Smuggled Into Prisons 'Destabilising' Them, Watchdog Says
UNITED KINGDOM, JUL 7 – Criminal gangs use drones to supply drugs and weapons to high-security UK prisons, with 20% of inmates reporting feeling unsafe, the watchdog says.
- On Tuesday, July 8, Chief Inspector Charlie Taylor released an annual report revealing that criminal gangs use drones to smuggle drugs and weapons into high-security prisons in England and Wales.
- This issue stems from overcrowding, lack of purposeful activity, and understaffing, which cause inmate frustration and fuel demand for drugs, while weak physical security and inexperienced staff are manipulated by prisoners.
- The report found 39% of prisoners said drugs were easy to acquire, random drug tests were over 30% positive in some jails, and violence remained excessively high, driven by drug use, overcrowding, and poor mental health support.
- Taylor highlighted that drones are being used to deliver drug shipments weighing as much as 10 kilograms, and warned that organized crime groups have effectively taken control of the airspace above prisons. He urged urgent government intervention to tackle this pressing national security concern.
- The government has pledged £40 million to bolster security and is building 14,000 new prison places, stepping up police cooperation and reforming sentencing to reduce overcrowding and combat violence fueled by contraband.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Inside UK prison ‘overrun by drugs’
Drugs and organised crime have such a grip on many prisons that they’re undermining every aspect of life inside, damaging work to reduce reoffending and protect the public. That’s the stark message today from the chief inspector of prisons for England and Wales.
Project Prison Reset considers next plans
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- The South Dakota's Project Prison Reset Task Force started its Tuesday meeting with hearing the results of an employee survey related to a possible new men's prison site. A break-down of prison plans KELOLAND News is livestreaming the meeting. The task force will review 14 project design options and possibly select an option to recommend to state officials. State Department of Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko …
Drones could be used to help inmates escape jail as prisons 'cede airspace' to crime gangs
Drones could be used to lift inmates over prison walls and help them escape, a prisons watchdog has warned.Charlie Taylor, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, said drones are also being used to make drug deliveries to Manchester and Long Lartin prisons, which have held terrorists and organised crime bosses.In his annual report published today, Taylor said police and the prison service have "ceded the airspace" above the two high security prisons to "…
Drones are now so powerful they could potentially lift prisoners from detention centre yards and fly them to freedom, meaning security needs to be beefed up, the UK’s prison inspectorate has warned.
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