Should inmates be given phones?

Offenders who maintain family ties are nearly 40 per cent less likely to turn back to crime, according to the Ministry of Justice. With secure mobiles being rolled out in prisons, we ask...

- JENNY ACKLAND

YES

‘Loss of liberty is enough punishment’

Faith Spear, FRSA, 56, is a writer and independent criminologist. She lives in Suffolk and campaigns for prison reform and independent monitoring of the prison estate.

Communication is such an essential element to life, and mobile phones play a huge part in building relationships and maintaining friendships. But for prisoners, this lifeline is often taken away.