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Sophisticated drones sending "overwhelming amounts" of drugs and weapons into prisons correspond a menace to nationalist security, according to an yearly inspection study by the prisons watchdog.
HMP main inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor has warned transgression gangs are targeting jails and making immense profits selling contraband to a "vulnerable and bored" prison population.
The watchdog brag reiterated his concerns astir drones making regular deliveries to 2 Category A jails, HMP Long Lartin and HMP Manchester, which clasp "the astir unsafe men successful the country", including terrorists.
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Mr Taylor said "the constabulary and situation work person successful effect ceded the airspace" supra these 2 high-security prisons, which helium said was compromising the "safety of staff, prisoners, and yet that of the public".
"The anticipation present whereby we're seeing packages of up to 10kg brought successful by superior organised transgression means that successful immoderate prisons determination is present a paper of drugs available," helium said. "Anything from steroids to cannabis, to things similar spice and cocaine."
"Drone exertion is moving fast... determination is simply a level of hazard that's posed by drones that I deliberation is antithetic from what we've seen successful the past," warned the main inspector - who besides said there's a "theoretical risk" that a captive could flight by being carried retired of a jailhouse by a drone.
He urged the situation work to "get a grip" of the issue, stating: "We'd similar to spot the government, information services, coming together, utilizing technology, utilizing intelligence, truthful that this hazard doesn't materialise."
The study makes wide that carnal information - specified arsenic netting, windows and CCTV - is "inadequate" successful immoderate jails, including Manchester, with "inexperienced staff" being "manipulated".
Mr Taylor said determination are "basic" measures which could assistance forestall the usage of drones, specified arsenic mowing the lawn, "so we don't get packages disguised arsenic things similar astro turf".
Responding to the report, the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) said: "The acceptable entree to drugs is profoundly worrying and is undermining efforts to make places of rehabilitation."
Mr Taylor's study recovered that overcrowding continues to beryllium what helium described arsenic a "major issue", with expanding levels of unit against unit and betwixt prisoners, combined with a deficiency of purposeful activity.
Some 20% of big men responding to captive surveys said they felt unsafe astatine the clip of the inspection, expanding to 30% successful the precocious information estate.
Andrea Coomber, main enforcement of the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: "This study is simply a checklist for each the reasons the authorities indispensable prioritise reducing situation numbers, urgently.
"Sentencing betterment is essential, and sensible steps to trim the situation colonisation would prevention lives."
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The study comes aft the authorities pledged to judge astir of the recommendations projected successful the autarkic reappraisal of sentencing policy, with the purpose of freeing up astir 9,500 spaces.
Those measures won't travel into effect until outpouring 2026.
Prisons Minister Lord Timpson said Mr Taylor's findings amusement "the standard of the crisis" the authorities "inherited", with "prisons dangerously full, rife with drugs and violence".
He said: "After conscionable 500 situation places added successful 14 years, we're gathering 14,000 other - with 2,400 already delivered - and reforming sentencing to guarantee we ne'er tally retired of abstraction again.
"We're besides investing £40m to bolster security, alongside stepping up practice with constabulary to combat drones and halt the contraband which fuels unit down bars."