Jails to introduce X-ray body scanners to combat black market
By Rafi Mauro-Benady
The Ministry of Justice has announced that two jails south of the Thames are among the 28 prisons nationwide to be given new X-ray body scanners to combat the black market behind bars.
The scanners, which can detect illicit items which have been internally concealed, were developed to stop contraband being smuggled into prisons.
As part of the government’s £100million package to tackle violence and boost security, Wandsworth jail, and HMP Brixton, will receive the technology tailored to the prison service.
Advanced scanners have already prevented over 179 illegal items, such as weapons and phones, entering London’s prisons in just four months after being installed.
The announcement comes just two weeks after an inmate inside Wandsworth jail, who spoke to The South London Press, conceded that most of the prison’s drugs come in through visits.
The inmate said: “Mostly the drugs come in on visits but as they are stopped because of Covid there’s only really spice coming in because the staff obviously feel drugs are too risky to carry when they can get around £600 to £800 for bringing in a phone and the spice just looks like sheets of paper.”
National chairman of the Prison Officers Association, Mark Fairhurst said: “We welcome this investment, we welcome security at the gate [of prisons].
“Sites that have already had and used these scanners are telling us that they [the scanners] can discover all illicit items that are secreted within a human body.
“There’s no hiding place for the criminals, and they [the scanners] a great aid to security, and also to stopping illicit items including weapons and drugs entering our jails.
“Overall the scanners improve safety for staff, safety for prisoners, and they prevent criminality.”
HMP Brixton’s Governor, Louise Ysart, said: “This X-ray body scanner is a game changer and we’re confident it will make the prison safer and reduce the availability of contraband.”
The government has also committed to spending £2.5billion to provide 10,000 additional prison places to modernise jails, and to reduce reoffending and overcrowding.
Other prisons receiving the scanners are Pentonville prison in Holloway, N7, HMP Birmingham, and Liverpool prison.
There will also be a further 24 scanners installed in prisons by March.
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The inmate said: “Mostly the drugs come in on visits but as they are stopped because of Covid there’s only really spice coming in because the staff obviously feel drugs are too risky to carry when they can get around £600 to £800 for bringing in a phone and the spice just looks like sheets of paper.”
So does this mean the staff are also going to be X Rayed ?
Also proves the staff are also bringing in stuff they shouldn’t
Iv been there I can 100% tell you lot that the screws are taking it in…. One was know to have 1500 transferred to his account once a month for a ruck sack of what ever you want. Iv been to 12 prisons around the UK which I’m not proud of but I can tell you this Wandsworth prison is there for the officer’s to drain money out of. Even the X governor of the trinity House block was know to have been involved in this