THE PRISONS watchdog has called for urgent action to tackle the use of drones to deliver drugs and weapons to some of the most dangerous prisoners in the country at HMP Long Lartin.
Charlie Taylor said that an inspection of the high-security prison in September and October last year revealed serious concerns with safety and security, amounting to a national security threat.
It found that the high-security prison which holds the most serious offenders including terrorists and organised crime bosses had a thriving illicit trade in drugs, mobile phones and weapons.
Shockingly, inspectors found that basic security measures such as protective netting and CCTV had been allowed to fall into disrepair.
He said: “It is highly alarming that the police and prison service have, in effect, ceded the airspace above two high-security prisons to organised crime gangs which are able to deliver contraband to jails holding extremely dangerous prisoners including some who have been designated as high-risk category A.
“The safety of staff, prisoners and ultimately that of the public, is seriously compromised by the failure to tackle what has become a threat to national security.
“The prison service, the police and other security services must urgently confront organised gang activity and reduce the supply of drugs and other illicit items which so clearly undermine every aspect of prison life.”
According to a survey, 50 per cent of inmates who responded said it was easy to get drugs and alcohol.
Violence and self-harm was said to have increased, in part driven by drugs and the accompanying debt prisoners found themselves in.
Inmates were also found to be living in squalid conditions with widespread dirt, damp and litter.
A continued lack of in-cell toilets for many prisoners was leading them to use buckets in their cells. Bags of faeces were found to have been thrown out of the windows, many of which were not cleared up.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson responded: “This Government inherited prisons in crisis – overcrowded, with drugs and violence rife.
“We are gripping the situation by investing in prison maintenance and security, working with the police and others to tackle serious organised crime, and building more prison places to lock up dangerous criminals.”
An inspection of HMP Manchester revealed a similar situation which was so bad that Mr Taylor issued an Urgent Notification for improvement to the Secretary of State.
