Exclusive Sky News Investigation Reveals Serious Security Breach at Bullingdon Prison

Last Updated on Monday, 06 December 2010 11:59 Monday, 06 December 2010 11:59

An exclusive investigation by Sky News’ Jason Farrell has revealed serious breaches in security at Bullingdon prison in Oxfordshire.

Sky News received shocking footage from a smuggled mobile phone inside the jail which gives an unprecedented and uncensored snapshot of prison life.

For several weeks, inmate Michael Long secretly filmed inside the prison for Sky News. Long wanted to highlight failings within the prison system and the compelling footage reveals poor security, the ease with which illegal drugs are conveyed into the prison and a lack of training and rehabilitation for prisoners before release. It is the first time that a prisoner has managed to get footage to a journalist and the exclusive report and pictures will be broadcast on the channel from 0600 on Monday 6 December.

Mobile phones are banned in jails as they can enable prisoners to organise drug deals, intimidate victims and initiate gang networks. They can also be used to plan escapes and film locks. However, in the special report, Long films himself passing through three security checks inside the prison without his phone being discovered.

Incredible footage illustrates an extraordinary breach of security and gives a troubling insight into prison life as a parcel of drugs is filmed having been thrown over the prison wall in broad daylight. The package has strings attached which are used to reel it in through a window into a cell by inmates, and when opened, the footage shows that it contains a variety of illegal drugs.

Smuggling is another route in for drugs and phones, and to demonstrate how items are illegally bought into the jail, Michael Long arranged a rendezvous between Sky reporters and an unsupervised prisoner left in the prison car park. Sky handed over a pouch of tobacco and some tanning cream to the prisoner. A few hours later, Long sent back pictures of the items from inside his cell.

Long, who is serving four years for his part in an operation to steal Bentley cars worth £375,000 claims that he bought the phone from a corrupt warden and that officials are cashing in on prisoners needs.

He tells Sky News: “Then they come up to you and approach you. Take advantage of you and offer you a phone for £500.”

Michael’s main motivation for contacting Sky News was to highlight the lack of rehabilitation for prisoners. He says: “Where’s the rehabilitation? There’s no training courses in this prison. I’ve been here a year and all I’ve done is lie in bed. I need to be trained; I need to have some skills so when I come out I can get a job. I don’t want to go back to crime but they’re not teaching me anything here. I’m crying out to be educated.”

Sky’s Jason Farrell said: "Michael Long gives us a raw and disturbing insight into prison life. The fact that he has a mobile phone is a security breach in itself, but the pictures he captures tell of a prison service failing to deal with the influx of illegal drugs and phones. He also highlights the need for an improved community structure within our prisons and more thought about how prisoners will integrate in society when they get out."