PRISONERS will be given taxpayer-funded phones under a barmy scheme proposed by Labour.
Inmates at one jail will get PIN-protected mobiles in a trial that could be rolled out to other prisons.
Handsets have already undergone “rigorous testing” in preparation to be handed to inmates at Leyhill open prison, Gloucs.
A report from the Independent Monitoring Board adds that delays in the start of the trial “continues to be a source of frustration for the Governor and their staff”.
The prison previously housed shamed MPs Charlie Elphicke, who was jailed for sexual assault, and Chris Huhne, who did time for perverting justice.
EastEnders star Leslie Grantham also spent the end of his murder sentence in Leyhill before being released in 1977.
Prisons in England and Wales confiscate 15,000 illegal phones and sim cards annually that are used to organise drugs, violent crime and escape attempts.
In 2020, inmates in Scotland were issued with mobiles so they could keep in touch with families.
They were supposed to be limited to approved numbers but lags quickly hacked them, leading to 5,000 “misuses”.
The Prison Service yesterday said: “This trial is not yet in operation.
“If it goes ahead, prisoners will not have access to the internet and all calls would be recorded, monitored and restricted to approved numbers.”
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