Prisoners’ phone calls and letters not sufficiently monitored in the UK

Systematic failings in monitoring sex offenders’ telephone calls in prisons are putting children at risk, UK inspectors said.

Prisons lack the equipment and resources to monitor communications efficiently and effectively, especially when a large number of inmates pose a risk to children and members of the public, the Interception of Communications commissioner said.

Sir Paul Kennedy added that inspectors also found an alarming number of category B prisons had a “very limited capacity to monitor prisoners who pose a real threat to good order and security”.

He said the systematic failings in monitoring communications could “potentially place children, vulnerable prisoners, members of the public and prison staff in harm’s way”.

“Managers have been warned that they could then find themselves in an indefensible position,” he said.

Inspectors found “very serious weaknesses and failings” in 24 of the 88 prisons inspected in England and Wales last year, with a further 19 prisons faring only “a little better”.

A total of four prisons even had to be visited twice because of “very serious failings”.

In his annual report for last year, referring to the failings in prisons, Sir Paul said: “This number is too high.

“Often these failings result from a lack of equipment and resources to conduct the interception efficiently and effectively, especially when large numbers of prisoners need to be monitored because they are considered a risk to children or are subject to harassment proceedings.”

In one prison, a total of 476 prisoners were deemed to need their telephone calls and correspondence monitored. “The Prison Service simply does not have the funding to pay for this, and I am not convinced that it would be money well spent,” Sir Paul said.

The failings could also stem from a lack of “clear leadership, direction and supervision” of the monitoring staff, he said.

Sir Paul added that while inspectors “have not found any evidence of harm to children or members of the public who need to be protected from these prisoners,” the whole process could be managed “much better”.

The report also found that almost 1,500 mobile phones and almost 800 SIM cards were seized from 25 prisons last year.

“The availability of such a large number of illicit telephones in the prison system is a serious cause for concern because prisoners can also use them to access the internet,” Sir Paul said.

In a written ministerial statement, Prime Minister David Cameron said the failings were “regrettable”, but added that he was satisfied that “appropriate action has been taken to address these failings”.

He added details of the failings can not be disclosed for security reasons.