The prevalence of mobile phones in prisons has become a widespread and serious problem, with prisoners able to access mobile phones and continue their criminal activities despite the heavy protection of prisons with barbed wire and locked doors. This not only poses a huge challenge to prison management, but also poses a threat to public safety. So why hasn’t technology completely solved this problem?
The Prevalence of Mobile Phones in Prisons
Every year, thousands of mobile phones are confiscated in prisons across the UK, but many more still enter prisons through various illegal means, such as smuggling or being thrown directly into prison walls. These phones are a very valuable resource for prisoners, and the cost of borrowing a mobile phone is as high as £400 to £1,000. According to the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), in 2013, a total of 7,451 mobile phones and SIM cards were seized in prisons in England and Wales. These phones were used to plan various crimes, such as murder, prison breaks, and smuggling weapons and drugs.
Case Study: The Dilemma of Northumberland Prison
Northumberland Prison is a typical example of the problem of mobile phones infesting prisons. One prisoner’s mother said, “This place is full of cell phones,” and cell phones are thrown over the fence or brought into the prison by other means by some prisoners. cell phone jammer Glyn Travis of the Prison Officers Association (POA) pointed out that this situation is not unique to Northumberland County Prison. Drugs and cell phones are thrown into the prison at will, and even delivered by drones, which completely undermines the prison’s external security line.
