Knitting their way to freedom, the maximum security prisoners who get a day off their sentence for every three days they work for luxury fashion label. Poring over their fine-quality crochet, the prisoners of Brazil’s Arisvaldo de Campos Pires maximum security penitentiary are a model of concentration. And it’s no wonder, when you consider what’s … More Brazilian Criminals Knitting Their Way to Freedom
The HM Prison and Probation Service in the UK has just published their long-awaited report into what drives the demand for illicit mobile phones by prisoners, with the hope to potentially identify effective ways of preventing their use. The results of this report starkly highlight the differing views of the Security Staff within the … More The Stark Reality of Phones in Prisons
Devon’s crime czar has backed calls to crack down on drugs in prisons by introducing airport-style security and mobile phone jamming. Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez said she wanted to see more thorough searches and body scanners introduced at HMP Exeter, Channings Wood and Dartmoor, so inmates had the best chance of getting clean … More Calls For Drug Scanners to be Introduced in Devon’s Prisons
IMB – Independent Monitoring Board UK The Board welcomes improvements from the very restricted regime which was in place last year and improvements in access for prisoners to phone calls. However, the Board is particularly concerned by: Inconsistencies in the application of rules and access to resources, which are unfair and destabilising because of the … More Nottingham Prison Annual Report Highlights, Self Harm, Illegal Drugs, Mental Health Problems and Issues over Safety of Prisoners and Staff
The Independent Monitoring Board’s (IMB) first report into the Berwyn super-prison in Wrexham in the UK found 20% of prisoners did not feel safe, with drugs a common reason given for violence. It comes days after staff raised concerns about being assaulted. The Ministry of Justice acknowledged prisoner drug use is a “serious issue”. The IMB … More IMB Annual Report Show Drugs ‘Readily Available’ at UK Prison
New figures have laid bare the “harsh reality” of the number of inmates going into a north-east prison on illegal drugs. Data released by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) shows 63% of criminals admitted to HMP Grampian over the month of November last year tested positive. And despite security measures aimed at minimising access to … More New Figures Show The Harsh Reality of Illegal Drugs in Prison
Take a look around you… Mobile phones – everyone has one. From the toddler on their parents’ phone watching a downloadable cartoon, to a teenager keeping in contact with their friends through social media, to the person reading their newspaper online, or an elderly person playing a crossword game on line. The number of mobile … More Beat the Boss – The Fight Against Mobile Phones in Our Prisons
Ten people have appeared in court over allegedly plotting to drop drugs and other illegal items into prisons across the North West and Midlands, UK using drones. The eight men and two women, all from the West Midlands, have been accused of three counts of conspiracy to supply drugs, psychoactive substances and banned items, West … More Ten Charged With Air Dropping Drugs and Phones Into Seven Prisons in UK
Department of Corrections Director, Reginald D. Michael announced the opening of a new chemical dependency treatment program at Montana State Prison, USA. The Montana State Correctional Treatment Center (MSCTC) has accepted its first 30 inmates. The secure, remodeled facility that formerly housed the Treasure State “boot camp” program now provides a 90 to 180-day intensive … More US State Prison Opens New Addiction Treatment Program Center
Iowa’s Department of Corrections is preparing for a possible increase in the number of inmates infected with HIV and hepatitis C because of the opioid epidemic, an outcome that could put pressure on an already cash-strapped system. State public health officials say they have yet to link any new HIV infections to opioid use, but … More IOWA Prisons Prepare as Opioid Epidemic Increase
