Corrections enlists telcos to curb cellphones in cells

Cellphones could soon be rendered useless in prisons as the Corrections Department seeks to clamp down on inmates getting access to smuggled phones.

An announcement is due soon about new technology that could block cellphone use, as investigations continue into claims of obscene material being sent by two inmates at Christchurch Men's Prison.

Public Prison Service (PPS) spokesman Bob Calland, said a joint project with telecommunications providers was looking at preventing unauthorised cellphone use at prisons.

Several options were being considered and more information would be released in a couple of weeks.

Convicted double murderer Scott Watson is under investigation after allegedly sending text messages of a sexual nature and pictures of his genitals to a 15-year-old girl via a chat room recently.

Another inmate, identified as Garrie Bainbridge, has been accused of sending obscene text messages to female real estate agents via a cellphone.

PPS southern regional manager Paul Monk said cellphones had not been found in either case and further investigations were hindered by a lack of information from complainants.

"The size of cellphones makes it tempting for prisoners to try to get them in. And without being too crude, they are carried internally," Mr Monk said.

"There's no doubt there [have been] increased attempts to bring these things in. With what we are currently doing, it is going to be very, very difficult to totally eliminate them. It wouldn't be appropriate to search [people] internally."

The largest prison officers' union, the Corrections Association, is concerned about the spread of cellphones among inmates and says the cellphone blocking technology is the only sure-fire way to stop it.

"If [the cellphones] become useless, the inmates are not going to use them," said association president Beven Hanlon.

The new technology would likely mean some prison managers giving up their cellphones, but "there is nothing wrong with the phone-lines in prisons".

Mr Hanlon said cellphones in prisons were a major concern for prison officers because of the risk they presented to them. "It gives people access to the internet, to email, and also to phone their colleagues and organise a crime."

Mr Monk said the prisons were having more success in tracing smuggled cellphones with the use of cellphone detectors, but they relied on picking up a signal as the phone was being used.

He said there could be pressure on prison officers to bring cellphones in for inmates, but Mr Hanlon said there was no evidence of this.

Mr Hanlon said it was much more likely to be outsiders bringing the phones in.