James Timpson, the prisons minister, expressed his grave concerns regarding the influence of organised criminal gangs within jails in England and Wales. He highlighted how these gangs corrupt prison staff, particularly inexperienced officers, to smuggle drugs and enforce violence for debt collection. Despite a bolstered counter-corruption unit that prosecuted numerous officers last year, deep worries remain about the gangs controlling the prison environment. Timpson emphasized the collaboration between police and agencies to combat this growing issue while highlighting the potential role of technology in monitoring offenders and enhancing prison safety.
Serious organised crime is a big problem, a huge problem, and it's one of the things that keeps me awake at night, because of the impact it has on a prison's environment.
The unit has been beefed up, and it needs to be, because it's an increasing problem. Through our counter-corruption unit, we have found people who are bringing in drugs and contraband.
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