Jailbirds to get internet kiosks?

The government is pondering the widespread deployment of internet kiosks throughout the UK's prisons.

As part of a wider strategy to boost education for prisoners, Fiona Mactaggart, parliamentary under secretary at the Home Office, said a review of IT resourcing was in progress.

In a parliamentary letter she wrote: "Colleagues at the Department for Education and Skills are currently in the process of developing an Offender ICT strategy. The government [has] increased ICT provision within the prison estate considerably in recent years through projects such as Prisoners' ICT Academy, which has seen new or upgraded computer workshops installed at 18 establishments."

Mactaggart's letter was in response to Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone's question about what the government is doing to improve educational resources and internet access in prisons.

Mactaggart said a prison in Leyhill is evaluating whether offenders can benefit from the internet and e-learning in prison conditions.

Last month the government introduced touch-screen information kiosks as part of a scheme to reduce rates of reoffending and depression.