Inmates foil mobile phone blockers

GANG bosses in the country’s only prison with a fully operational mobile phone blocking system are smuggling in Skype internet phones and satellite phones to bypass the technology.

Official figures show that 15 satellite and Skype phones have been seized in the Midlands Prison in the first eight months of this year. The Prison Service figures also show that ordinary mobile phones continue to be seized in the jail – 62 phones up to August. This raises concerns that the system is not fully successful in blocking mobile calls. Prison officers claim that the system works in parts of the jail close to the blocking source, but does not work in areas farther away.

The blocking technology became operational in the Midlands towards the end of last year, following lengthy and extensive testing.