Prisons report finds high levels of violence and drugs smuggling

THE overwhelming amount of drugs being smuggled into jails is destabilising prisons and preventing work to stop reoffending, a watchdog has warned as it urged the government to take the threat seriously.

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Criminal gangs often use sophisticated drones to target jails and sell contraband to bored and vulnerable inmates, according to the chief inspector of prisons' annual report.

Charlie Taylor previously warned that drones dropping drugs at high security jails HMP Manchester and HMP Long Lartin were a “threat to national security,” and he repeated calls yesterday for the threat to be taken seriously “at the highest levels of government”.

The watchdog boss said: “This has been another very difficult year for prisons in England and Wales, with the ingress of contraband delivered by drones severely impacting the essential work that many have been able to do with prisoners.