More prisoners will get in-cell phones under new plans by UK Government
UK Justice Secretary David Gauke announced that more prisoners will get in-cell phones to help maintain the family ties which can cut reoffending by 40%.
Under the plans, a further £10 million roll-out of in-cell landline telephones will help prisoners preserve relationships with their own loved ones and reduce tension on prison wings.
Justice Secretary David Gauke said: "At this time of year more than any other we’re reminded of the importance of family, and there can be few groups that this applies to more than prisoners.
"In-cell telephones provide a crucial means of allowing prisoners to build and maintain family relationships, something we know is fundamental to their rehabilitation.
"Introducing them to more prisons is a recognition of the contribution I believe in-cell telephones make to turning prisons into places of decency where offenders have a real chance to transform their lives."
All calls on in-cell phones are recorded and can only be made to a small number of pre-approved numbers. In the event that they are suspected of being used for criminal activity, calls can be monitored, and governors have the power to remove the phones of those who have misused them.
In-cell phones allow prisoners to make calls in private at a time which fits with their families’ schedules and are currently installed in 20 prisons in England and Wales. The latest roll-out has been funded by the additional £30 million allocated to prisons in the last Budget and will allow 50 prisons to have the phones by March 2020.
Ministry of Justice (MOJ) research shows that if a prisoner receives visits by a partner or family member (one measure of family ties) the odds of reoffending are 39% lower than for prisoners who had not received such visits.
Under the plans, a further £10 million roll-out of in-cell landline telephones will help prisoners preserve relationships with their own loved ones and reduce tension on prison wings.
Justice Secretary David Gauke said: "At this time of year more than any other we’re reminded of the importance of family, and there can be few groups that this applies to more than prisoners.
"In-cell telephones provide a crucial means of allowing prisoners to build and maintain family relationships, something we know is fundamental to their rehabilitation.
"Introducing them to more prisons is a recognition of the contribution I believe in-cell telephones make to turning prisons into places of decency where offenders have a real chance to transform their lives."
All calls on in-cell phones are recorded and can only be made to a small number of pre-approved numbers. In the event that they are suspected of being used for criminal activity, calls can be monitored, and governors have the power to remove the phones of those who have misused them.
In-cell phones allow prisoners to make calls in private at a time which fits with their families’ schedules and are currently installed in 20 prisons in England and Wales. The latest roll-out has been funded by the additional £30 million allocated to prisons in the last Budget and will allow 50 prisons to have the phones by March 2020.
Ministry of Justice (MOJ) research shows that if a prisoner receives visits by a partner or family member (one measure of family ties) the odds of reoffending are 39% lower than for prisoners who had not received such visits.