Drones could lift inmates out of jails to escape, prison officers say
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Drones could be used to smuggle guns into jails and airlift escaping prisoners, a union warned, after they were branded a threat to national security. Chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor accused the police and Government of giving up control of the airspace above two high security jails as he called on them and the security services to “urgently confront” activity from criminal gangs behind the growing number of drug and weapons drops being made by drones.
The findings of the watchdog’s two inspection reports into conditions at HMP Manchester and HMP Long Lartin prompted a debate in the Commons, with shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick telling MPs explosives could be delivered to prisons by drone and the “potential for escapes or hostage-taking is an enormous concern”.
Meanwhile, Mark Fairhurst, national chairman of union the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), said drones were capable of lifting an inmate out of an exercise yard as he accused the Prison Service of ignoring years of warnings. It was “only a matter of time before a firearm makes its way into a prison”, he added, as he called for technology to block drone deliveries while giving evidence to peers.
Mr Taylor said inspections in September and October raised serious concerns over safety and basic security, describing the jails as having “thriving” drug economies with nets and CCTV being allowed to fall into “disrepair”. The scale of the problem at HMP Manchester, previously known as Strangeways, included inmates burning holes in windows to receive drone deliveries and prompted Mr Taylor to last year tell the Justice Secretary to put the prison into emergency measures.
