Inmates enjoy such comfort in jail that they are ignoring chances to escape, a prison officers' leader has claimed.
Inmates at a top security prison recently told Jack Straw that conditions there were like a 'holiday camp'
In one example, a drug dealer regularly broke into a Yorkshire jail over a six-month period, using a ladder to climb the walls and supply inmates with drugs and mobile phones.
The intruder walked across the yard with the ladder and used it to climb up to a cell window, which had been pulled apart with a crowbar and covered by a dummy grille.
Glyn Travis, the assistant general secretary of the Prison Officers' Association, said: "It was an extraordinary case because none of the prisoners inside tried to escape when no doubt they had the opportunity.
"It tells me there's something wrong in society when people are breaking into prisons to bring in drugs, but the prisoners are quite happy to stay inside."
Inmates at a top security prison recently told Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, that conditions there were like a "holiday camp".
They said they enjoyed the use of satellite television and video game consoles as well as their free bed and board.
Prisoners receive wages topped up by bonuses for good behaviour, while drugs are sometimes cheaper in jail than on the streets.
It is understood that there have also been examples of prostitutes being smuggled into HMP Sudbury, a Category D prison, in Derbyshire.
Nick Herbert, the shadow justice secretary, criticised what he called another example of a "failing prison system".
He said: "Prisons should be places of hard work and restoration, preparing offenders to go straight.
"Instead we have overcrowded jails where drugs are rife, prisoners are too often idle and there is little purposeful activity. It is time for a fundamental shake-up of our failing prisons system."
Mr Travis said the break-ins he described were uncovered last January at HMP Everthorpe, which holds about 700 Category C inmates.
The governor, Gary Monaghan, has since moved to an office job working in IT, the Ministry of Justice confirmed.
A spokesman said that inmates at Everthorpe were all in their cells at the time the drug dealer broke in.
However, Mr Travis said: "The prisoners would recognise that if a man can break in so easily and regularly, the opportunity was there to break out. But they did not try."
He blamed under-funding for leaving prison officers' morale at "rock-bottom", as they struggled to cope with an overcrowding crisis that meant conditions were verging on "anarchy".
"Drugs are coming into prisons at a rate that's so dramatic that drugs in prisons are actually cheaper than on the outside," Mr Travis added.
"Prisoners receive a wage for being in prison, they receive a bed, a TV in all cells, Sky television in most areas for recreational use, free telephones, breakfast in bed on many occasions, cash bonuses for good behaviour.
"And prison staff are forced to deal with them in such a subservient way. It's ridiculous."
A spokesman for the Prison Service said that it was aware of a security breach but dismissed claims of "cushy" prisons.
"During the incident, at no time were prisoners out of their cells or able to access any other areas of the prison," he said.
"Immediate action was taken with extra fencing, the removal of trees, extra CCTV cameras, and the transfer of the offender involved to another establishment."
The spokesman added: "All prisoners are provided with a breakfast pack each evening which they eat in their cells in the morning.
"If a cooked breakfast is provided prisoners have to collect it from the wing servery and take it back to eat in their cells.
"Access to televisions is a condition of acceptable behaviour.
"Television sets purchased for in-cell prisoner use are paid for by the weekly rental fee of £1 paid by prisoners.
"The average wage for a prisoner is under £10 a week. Televisions can and will be removed from prisoners whose behaviour is deemed unacceptable."
He added: "The National Offender Management Service recognises that a careful balance must be maintained between the concerns of the public that prisoners should not benefit from their criminal behaviour and the need to ensure that, wherever possible, prisoners are rehabilitated."
A night in a London police cell costs almost twice as much as a room at the Ritz or the Dorchester, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act have showed.
Because of the overcrowding crisis, the Ministry of Justice spends more than £1 million a month of taxpayers' money to house 50 prisoners a night in Metropolitan Police cells.
The cost of holding each prisoner at a police station works out at an average of £667. A stay at the Dorchester for one person costs £395 and a king-size executive suite at the Ritz is £390.
Gucci said
01:58 04/25 2008
Prisoners receive wages topped up by bonuses for good behaviour, while drugs are sometimes cheaper in jail than on the streets.
satellite television and video game consoles
Prisoners receive a wage for being in prison, they receive a bed, a TV in all cells, Sky television in most areas for recreational use, free telephones, breakfast in bed on many occasions, cash bonuses for good behaviour
di kriminal dem ah live life pon taxpayer money...... look pon dem to! this is insane
Casino said
06:18 04/25 2008
no care how gud d conditions are mi suree say dem cya bring in woman, so no f*kkin cya gwaan, mi still wulda try escape dat raas, an mi luv f*kk so?,lol. But differently if a prison like dat deh a yaad, i dont even kno wa wulda gwaan a ra**
riddimqueen said
06:28 04/25 2008
kmt they hav better live in jail most than on the street
Inmates enjoy such comfort in jail that they are ignoring chances to escape, a prison officers' leader has claimed.
In one example, a drug dealer regularly broke into a Yorkshire jail over a six-month period, using a ladder to climb the walls and supply inmates with drugs and mobile phones.
The intruder walked across the yard with the ladder and used it to climb up to a cell window, which had been pulled apart with a crowbar and covered by a dummy grille.
Glyn Travis, the assistant general secretary of the Prison Officers' Association, said: "It was an extraordinary case because none of the prisoners inside tried to escape when no doubt they had the opportunity.
"It tells me there's something wrong in society when people are breaking into prisons to bring in drugs, but the prisoners are quite happy to stay inside."
Inmates at a top security prison recently told Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, that conditions there were like a "holiday camp".
They said they enjoyed the use of satellite television and video game consoles as well as their free bed and board.
Prisoners receive wages topped up by bonuses for good behaviour, while drugs are sometimes cheaper in jail than on the streets.
It is understood that there have also been examples of prostitutes being smuggled into HMP Sudbury, a Category D prison, in Derbyshire.
Nick Herbert, the shadow justice secretary, criticised what he called another example of a "failing prison system".
He said: "Prisons should be places of hard work and restoration, preparing offenders to go straight.
"Instead we have overcrowded jails where drugs are rife, prisoners are too often idle and there is little purposeful activity. It is time for a fundamental shake-up of our failing prisons system."
Mr Travis said the break-ins he described were uncovered last January at HMP Everthorpe, which holds about 700 Category C inmates.
The governor, Gary Monaghan, has since moved to an office job working in IT, the Ministry of Justice confirmed.
A spokesman said that inmates at Everthorpe were all in their cells at the time the drug dealer broke in.
However, Mr Travis said: "The prisoners would recognise that if a man can break in so easily and regularly, the opportunity was there to break out. But they did not try."
He blamed under-funding for leaving prison officers' morale at "rock-bottom", as they struggled to cope with an overcrowding crisis that meant conditions were verging on "anarchy".
"Drugs are coming into prisons at a rate that's so dramatic that drugs in prisons are actually cheaper than on the outside," Mr Travis added.
"Prisoners receive a wage for being in prison, they receive a bed, a TV in all cells, Sky television in most areas for recreational use, free telephones, breakfast in bed on many occasions, cash bonuses for good behaviour.
"And prison staff are forced to deal with them in such a subservient way. It's ridiculous."
A spokesman for the Prison Service said that it was aware of a security breach but dismissed claims of "cushy" prisons.
"During the incident, at no time were prisoners out of their cells or able to access any other areas of the prison," he said.
"Immediate action was taken with extra fencing, the removal of trees, extra CCTV cameras, and the transfer of the offender involved to another establishment."
The spokesman added: "All prisoners are provided with a breakfast pack each evening which they eat in their cells in the morning.
"If a cooked breakfast is provided prisoners have to collect it from the wing servery and take it back to eat in their cells.
"Access to televisions is a condition of acceptable behaviour.
"Television sets purchased for in-cell prisoner use are paid for by the weekly rental fee of £1 paid by prisoners.
"The average wage for a prisoner is under £10 a week. Televisions can and will be removed from prisoners whose behaviour is deemed unacceptable."
He added: "The National Offender Management Service recognises that a careful balance must be maintained between the concerns of the public that prisoners should not benefit from their criminal behaviour and the need to ensure that, wherever possible, prisoners are rehabilitated."
A night in a London police cell costs almost twice as much as a room at the Ritz or the Dorchester, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act have showed.
Because of the overcrowding crisis, the Ministry of Justice spends more than £1 million a month of taxpayers' money to house 50 prisoners a night in Metropolitan Police cells.
The cost of holding each prisoner at a police station works out at an average of £667. A stay at the Dorchester for one person costs £395 and a king-size executive suite at the Ritz is £390.