Report Claims 1,000 English Prison Officers Are Corrupt
Mary K. Brunskill - All Headline News Staff Writer London, England (AHN) - At least 1,000 prison officers in England are believed to be corrupt, according to a report written by London's Metropolitan Police. The report states some prison officers have smuggled illicit items into prisons for inmates and have also taken money from inmates for transferring them to less secure prisoners. The report also claims prison officers have brought mobile phones and drugs into jails. The Metropolitan Police say that no action is taken when authorities are aware of the officers' behavior. Mark Leech, editor of The Prisons Handbook, the annual guide to the penal system in England and Wales, expressed concern Monday. He told BBC News, "This report reveals that what was claimed to be a few isolated cases of corruption is in fact the tip of a huge iceberg of dishonest practices that has infected the prison service nationwide. "In short, it stands accused of being institutionally corrupt right across the country." One unnamed prison boss is quoted in the report as saying: "Here corruption is endemic ... I've identified over 20 corrupt staff, but there may be more." Brian Caton, general secretary of the Prison Officers' Association, said, "The most irresponsible thing I find in this is that the prison service seem to understand that there is this amount of corrupt prison officers and are prepared to do not much about it |
