A DRUGS-blighted prison has not been allowed to put CCTV on its perimeter wall — because it is Grade II listed.
Planners will not permit it as the stone barrier, and the 206-year-old nick’s entrance, are on Historic England’s National Heritage List.
Shutterstock EditorialHMP Maidstone in Kent has not been allowed to put CCTV on its perimeter wall — because it is Grade II listed[/caption]
GettyA justice system insider said Maidstone jail chiefs were hoping to install cameras that were not fixed to the historic wall[/caption]
It means “throw-overs” — where drugs and mobiles are tossed over the wall for inmates to collect — will likely continue at HMP Maidstone in Kent.
Investigators say drugs are rife at the Category ‘C’ jail, which houses around 600 lags and once held gangster Reggie Kray.
An Independent Monitoring Board report pointed out that a strong smell of cannabis had “increased markedly” this year.
It accepted most contraband was flung over the outer wall and this was the “main means of entry for illegal items”.
It added: “External CCTV surveillance of common public sites for throw-overs has not been implemented, seemingly due to restrictions related to the historic nature of the prison walls.”
A justice system insider said Maidstone jail chiefs were hoping to install cameras that were not fixed to the historic wall.
The Prison Service told The Sun: “As part of our commitment to bear down on drugs in prison, HMP Maidstone is due to have a new CCTV system installed which will cover all internal and external areas.
“This is on top of the prison’s existing security measures — such as X-ray scanners, which also detect illicit items.”
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