Sophisticated Drones Increase Risk of Contraband in Prisons

The HM Chief Inspector of Prisons has issued a warning that “more risky things” might enter correctional facilities due to increasingly advanced drones facilitating the smuggling of larger quantities of drugs into jails. Speaking to the BBC, Charlie Taylor stated: “We know security is being compromised in lots of prisons when it comes to drone activity. They can be in and out of a jail very quickly.” Data acquired by the BBC indicates that drone-related occurrences near prisons across England and Wales have surged by almost 10 times since 2019. The government has announced the implementation of restricted fly zones around prisons this year, aiming to impede unauthorized drone operations. Mr Taylor commented: “I think any contraband getting into prison is of a huge concern for us – whether it’s drugs, mobile phones or something worse.” He further elaborated, “We are seeing bigger payloads of drugs coming into prisons more mobile phones, drones are becoming more sophisticated in terms of how much they can carry, so of course it adds to the risk of potentially other more risky things coming into prisons.” Recent government statistics reveal 1,063 drone sightings near prisons last year, which is over twice the 478 sightings documented in 2022. This represents a substantial rise from the 122 incidents reported in 2019, according to data obtained by the BBC. Jamie, 37, a former inmate who served 14 years for two violent crimes he attributes to excessive drinking, stated: “A drone can come into prison and it ain’t getting stopped. And there could be anything on the drone. There could be a gun.” He recounted witnessing multiple deliveries during his incarceration, describing: “I’ll be stood at the window at night time and the lads will be talking out of the window, and all of a sudden a drone will come over. Someone will grab the parcel. “That’s how easy it is to get parcels.” Jamie reports that he has reformed his life since being released from prison several years ago and now manages a social media channel, which he claims assists former inmates in re-establishing themselves post-release. Earlier this month, inspectors issued a warning that HMP Garth, a high-security prison situated near Leyland, Lancashire, had transformed into “like an airport” due to the high volume of drones delivering drugs. The inspectors noted that prisoners were creating openings in cell windows to facilitate drone entry and appropriating mops and brooms to use their handles for drug retrieval. The prisons’ inspectorate has also identified drones, utilized for delivering drugs and other prohibited goods to inmates, as a “major problem” at HMP Swaleside in Kent. Concurrently, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) of HMP Guys Marsh in Dorset states that drone deliveries and items thrown over the perimeter present an ongoing difficulty. Police in Greater Manchester report that criminals are employing proficient drone pilots to transport a range of items, from hard drugs to mustard, directly to prison cell windows. Furthermore, the Prison Officers Association (POA) is cautioning about the danger posed by drones delivering contraband into prisons. Steve Gillan, the general secretary of the POA, declared: “Unless it’s dealt with, I predict there could be a total disaster in one of our prisons if drones are flown in with incendiary devices, a gun or ammunition.” He noted a “dramatic increase” in drone usage, with offenders employing them to introduce drugs into prisons. He explained: “They simply fly up to a cell window and just hand them in, or drop them into an exercise yard or to a field where prisoners will be tipped off to pick them up. But because staff can’t be everywhere, inevitably these drugs get in.” Mr Gillan asserted that prison officers are primarily affected by these drone deliveries. He stated: “I’ve never known it as bad for the modern-day prison officer dealing with the barrage of drugs and violence that fuels our prisons.” He indicated that the POA has consistently warned that the situation would deteriorate rather than improve unless drones are prevented from accessing prison perimeters. In 2017, Guernsey Prison implemented a virtual anti-drone fence designed to disrupt the signal between a drone and its operator. Nevertheless, the BBC has learned that this system, tested on the Channel island, has not been adopted in prisons across England and Wales. Prison governor John De Carteret explained: “When a drone tries to breach the perimeter, it’s repelled until it runs out of battery and then it slowly lowers itself down to the floor.” He added that no drones have been detected since the installation of the fence. As of January in England and Wales, operating a drone within 400 metres (1,300ft) of any closed prison or young offenders institution constitutes an offense. In a Manchester prison, the prison service plans to deploy CCTV and netting as countermeasures against drones. Individuals violating these regulations could incur fines of up to £2,500, while those involved in smuggling illicit goods that fuel violence and criminal activity within custody could face imprisonment for up to a decade. Dr Erin Sanders-McDonough, a criminologist at the University of Kent, observed: “The kind of mechanisms to get drugs through the door have been constantly evolving as the kinds of detection methods evolve. We haven’t seen any reduction, despite these kind of these measures being introduced.” She further asserted: “Just having more staff in prisons isn’t going to solve this. “We need a holistic approach that’s going to tackle the kind of the root issues, which are mental health provision for drug treatment programs.” Mr Taylor informed BBC Radio Sussex: “It’s about physical security, having windows that are actually secure, ventilate the cell but are also secure.” He continued: “It’s’about having netting in place that helps to stop drones being able to land.” He also emphasized the need for “technological solutions as well, so things like ways of potentially detecting drones, having CCTV cameras that pick up where drones are dropping stuff off.” A spokesperson for the Prison Service stated: “Police and prison staff have worked collaboratively to make over 90 drone-related convictions – resulting in sentences totalling more than 315 years behind bars law.“ The spokesperson added: “We have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs, and these figures show our work locally with the police to deter, detect and disrupt the growing illegal use of drones around prisons.“ They also confirmed: “In January, we also introduced restricted fly zones for drones around prisons.”