Digital Forensics Dispatch

UK Ministry of Justice to Crackdown on Mobile Devices in Prison

November 19, 2019

The UK Ministry of Justice is in the process of setting up a new digital forensics unit to examine seized mobile devices from prisons, according to John Oates of The Register. A 100 million pound investment is leading to increased security, which will hopefully lead to the seizure of more contraband devices. Claims of inmates using technology to access dark web sites, social media and send encrypted messages have arisen, with the improved security aimed at preventing these things.

This new digital forensics lab is reported to have the latest cutting-edge technology and aims to identify more prisoners who are using mobile devices while behind bars. One of the goals of the unit is to see how prisoners are using these devices and what potential role the device use has on criminal activity outside of prisons. The Register reports that yearly there are more than 20,000 phones seized from prisoners and approximately 1 in 3 phones are smartphones.

Additionally, the increased security investment will allow for prisons to have devices such as metal detectors, airport-style scanners, and phone blockers. The goal is to help crackdown on the criminals that continue to act criminally while incarcerated. In addition to increased security a 2.5 billion pound budget is being spent to increase prison capacity as well as create more modern and efficient jails, to aid in rehabilitation and reduce recidivism.

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