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| Hundreds of prison staff caught smuggling banned items | Hundreds of prison staff caught smuggling banned items |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Hundreds of prison staff have been caught smuggling drugs, weapons and mobile phones into jails, according to the Observer. | Hundreds of prison staff have been caught smuggling drugs, weapons and mobile phones into jails, according to the Observer. |
| A Freedom of Information request by the paper found that 341 staff in England and Wales had been dismissed, excluded, convicted or cautioned by police in the past six years as a result. | A Freedom of Information request by the paper found that 341 staff in England and Wales had been dismissed, excluded, convicted or cautioned by police in the past six years as a result. |
| Last year, there were 71 cases of staff smuggling - up from 50 in 2015. | Last year, there were 71 cases of staff smuggling - up from 50 in 2015. |
| The prison service says the figures reflect the actions of a tiny minority. | The prison service says the figures reflect the actions of a tiny minority. |
| The response to the Observer's FoI request showed that it was not just prison officers sneaking in the items, but also health workers, trainers and other support staff. | The response to the Observer's FoI request showed that it was not just prison officers sneaking in the items, but also health workers, trainers and other support staff. |
| Drugs were found 13,119 times in prisons in England and Wales last year, the paper said - the equivalent of more than 35 incidents per day and three times the amount as in 2014. | Drugs were found 13,119 times in prisons in England and Wales last year, the paper said - the equivalent of more than 35 incidents per day and three times the amount as in 2014. |
| The Prison Officers Association (POA) said the value of the drug market in jail is around £100m. | The Prison Officers Association (POA) said the value of the drug market in jail is around £100m. |
| Peter Dawson, director of campaigning charity the Prison Reform Trust, blamed the decisions of successive governments for creating a "perfect market" for drugs in prison. | |
| "You have a huge number of people who have nothing to do, who have no hope and for whom drugs are one way of making the time pass. | "You have a huge number of people who have nothing to do, who have no hope and for whom drugs are one way of making the time pass. |
| "And you have people on the outside who can make a huge amount of money by exploiting that market." | "And you have people on the outside who can make a huge amount of money by exploiting that market." |
| He said staff cuts had left prisons unstable, dangerous places to work with fewer experienced staff. | He said staff cuts had left prisons unstable, dangerous places to work with fewer experienced staff. |
| For prisoners this meant fewer were given the opportunity to go out of the prison on a temporary licence to work or gain education, he said. | |
| This ttok away an incentive to say "no" to drugs, as a clean drugs test is needed to get permission for temporary release. | |
| The POA warned of staff shortages earlier this year, saying it had lost in excess of 7,000 frontline staff since 2010 - despite a recent push to recruit 2,500 officers. | The POA warned of staff shortages earlier this year, saying it had lost in excess of 7,000 frontline staff since 2010 - despite a recent push to recruit 2,500 officers. |
| A report by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons in July found that staff shortages at Wandsworth Jail in south-west London meant visitors were not routinely scanned. | A report by the HM Inspectorate of Prisons in July found that staff shortages at Wandsworth Jail in south-west London meant visitors were not routinely scanned. |
| A spokesman for the prison service from the Ministry of Justice said: "The overwhelming majority of our prison staff are hard-working and honest. | A spokesman for the prison service from the Ministry of Justice said: "The overwhelming majority of our prison staff are hard-working and honest. |
| "But we remain vigilant to the threat posed by corruption and wrongdoing of a very small number of our staff." | "But we remain vigilant to the threat posed by corruption and wrongdoing of a very small number of our staff." |
| Ambulance call-outs | Ambulance call-outs |
| Meanwhile, in a separate FOI request, the Sunday Telegraph has found that 999 calls to prisons have nearly doubled in the past three years. | Meanwhile, in a separate FOI request, the Sunday Telegraph has found that 999 calls to prisons have nearly doubled in the past three years. |
| More than 12,200 call-outs were made last year, compared to 6,677 in 2013-14. | |
| A POA spokesman said the figures showed the "real problems and challenges" caused by inmates taking new psychoactive substances, such as Spice. | A POA spokesman said the figures showed the "real problems and challenges" caused by inmates taking new psychoactive substances, such as Spice. |
| The government said it was investing £14m each year to stop the criminals responsible for trading the drug. | The government said it was investing £14m each year to stop the criminals responsible for trading the drug. |