It is currently illegal for inmates to have personal phones in prison and those caught with one can have up to two years added on to their sentence. While some prisons have in-cell phones – most inmates can only ring “pre-approved and validated contacts”.
This is done in an effort to stop prisoners from continuing their criminal exploits from behind bars.
Criminologist Faith Spear – who was sacked as chairman of the Independent Monitoring Board at Hollesley Bay in Suffolk for whistleblowing in 2017 – believes the mantra where phones are seen as a “reward” is wrong.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, she said that “communication is an essential element to all our lives”.
This also applies to “those incarcerated in our prisons”, she claimed – many of whom have had “limited” access through visits over the last two years due to the pandemic.
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“But these phones are located on the landings, are shared by many, where confidentiality is
non-existent and usually in demand at the same time.
“This is when friction can spark disputes, threats, and fights.
“In HM Chief Inspector of prisons annual report for 2020, 71 percent of women and 47 percent of men reported they had mental health issues.
“Phones can be a lifeline and can be used as a coping mechanism to the harsh prison regimes, can assist in reducing stress, allay anxiety and prevent depression.
“Some prisons (approximately 66 percent) have in-cell telephony. However, some commentators still have a problem with this as phones are seen as a reward.
“We live in an age of technology, and if we believe that communication is a vital element in maintaining relationships, why is that any different for prisoners and their families?
“What many people choose to forget is that prison removes an individual from society as they know it, with high brick walls and barbed wire separating them from loved ones, family, and friends.
“Prison should be the loss of liberty, let’s not punish further those in prison or extend the punishment to families, loved ones and children of prisoners.
“Understandably, unauthorised mobile phones can serve as a means of continuing criminal activity with the outside world, but that risk can be mitigated through authorised secure in-cell phones procured by the prison service.
“The benefits outweigh the disadvantages.”
