By Nick Heath, 8 July 2008 11:15
NEWS
Body scanning chairs and mobile phone blocking technology will be rolled out to UK prisons to stamp out drug abuse in jails.
Mobile phone use will be blocked and Bodily Orifice Security Scanner (Boss) chairs will be fitted throughout non-high security prisons from March 2009.
The technological measures were announced by the government on the back of a report by ex-chief constable David Blakey on how to stop drugs getting into prisons.
Security from A to Z
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A is for Antivirus
B is for Botnets
C is for CMA
D is for DDoS
E is for Extradition
F is for Federated identity
G is for Google
H is for Hackers
I is for IM
J is for Jaschan (Sven)
K is for Kids
L is for Love Bug
M is for Microsoft
N is for Neologisms
O is for Orange
P is for Passwords
Q is for Questions
R is for Rootkits
S is for Spyware
T is for Two-factor authentication
U is for USB sticks/devices
V is for Virus variants
W is for Wi-fi
X is for OS X
Y is for You
Z is for Zero-day
Drug deals are often arranged using mobiles smuggled into prisons, with the prison service seizing 7,200 mobiles per year.
The Boss chair performs a scan of the person sat on it, signalling any metal objects and allowing it to detect items such as mobile phones.
Prisoners reportedly pay between £250 - £850 to have mobile phones smuggled inside, with the Blakey report estimating current detection rates are already taking at least £1.8m out of the black market each year.
In his report entitled Disrupting the supply of illicit drugs into prisons, Blakey warns the technology would cost "many millions" and should be rolled out to the highest security prisons first.
He said: "The possibility of blocking is presently being addressed. It is not without technical difficulty, and it would be very expensive.
"The process should begin first with those establishments with the greatest security and trafficking problems."
Blakey is critical of the lack of technology in prisons, calling for CCTV, biometric, scanning and phone blocking systems to be stepped up.
He said: "There is generally less technology in prisons than one would expect to see and what there is, is uncoordinated and somewhat ad-hoc."
He said it would cost about £1m to fit the Boss at all prisons but adds its presence is a deterrent to smuggling, as prisoners regard it "warily".
The government welcomed the report and pledged to implement all 10 of Blakey's recommendations.
In its response to the report it said: "His report highlights the complexities and interdependencies of tackling an issue common to prison services around the world."
Comments
There are 6 comments. Join the discussion
1. Radical Meldrew
I am really going to relish saying "OK, you're the boss" with a huge manic grin at every opportunity. They'll think I'm quite mad but you and I will know differently!
2. anonymous
Blocking technology is neither complicated nor expensive.
3. Karen Challinor
mobile phone jamming or blocking has been around for years
why has it taken so long to be applied to prisons ?
and while we are at it how about using these millimetre wave scanners to detect concealed weapons
4. Alan Lewis
But we dont need all this technology at all. Nope. I have a way to cut down not just on mobile phones, but drugs and anythign else.
No visitors.
All the money being spent on technology could be spent on tents, jump suits, and fences. Reduce the opex by only funding basic meals, and forget about paying prisoners for working.
5. Jeremy Wickins
I tend to look at this in a slightly different way, because of my previous life as a psychiatric nurse in a secure environment, and it occurs to me that I would not care to work in a prison where a significant proportion of the inmates are no longer getting their fix! I hope that there are some very robust drug rehab systems in place if this system (which seems overly complicated) actually works (which it won't - the government is doing it!!)
6. anonymous
So can we have this mobile blocking technology in public places especially on trains, buses, restaurants, in cars - everywhere where these inconsiderate sdrut (read it backwards) use their phones.... And I do agree with the chap who says minimise the comfort in prisons. Really make it so that no-one who has been in a prison would ever want to go back in. I condone the breaking of rocks with sledge hammers as they used to do only as recently as when I was a child in the 50s. Doesn't cost a lot to pass out sledge hammers and import large chunks of rock does it. Think is all the gravel we could have at low prices....