Government urged to move quickly on radical changes to prisoners’ access to ICT
Prison Reform Trust director, Peter Dawson has urged the government to take the necessary “political decision” to enable greater access to ICT in prisons.
Giving evidence to the House of Commons Education Committee today (8 June) Peter Dawson said:
“There was a time when it was unthinkable that prisoners would have televisions in their cells. There was a time time very recently when it was unthinkable that prisoners would have phones in their cells, and now two-thirds of prisons have phones in cells.
“The use of technology goes so far beyond education. We’re worried about people spraying Spice onto letters, you can’t spray Spice onto an email but prisoners can’t access electronic communication. The case has been made long ago, but it needs political will to make it happen.”
Click here to catch up on the whole evidence session, and click here to read our written evidence to the committee’s inquiry on prison education.
Prison Reform Trust director, Peter Dawson has urged the government to take the necessary “political decision” to enable greater access to ICT in prisons.
Giving evidence to the House of Commons Education Committee today (8 June) Peter Dawson said:
“There was a time when it was unthinkable that prisoners would have televisions in their cells. There was a time time very recently when it was unthinkable that prisoners would have phones in their cells, and now two-thirds of prisons have phones in cells.
“The use of technology goes so far beyond education. We’re worried about people spraying Spice onto letters, you can’t spray Spice onto an email but prisoners can’t access electronic communication. The case has been made long ago, but it needs political will to make it happen.”
Click here to catch up on the whole evidence session, and click here to read our written evidence to the committee’s inquiry on prison education.
