Rise in prison staff smuggling banned items into jails

The number of staff bringing banned items into jails has risen by 58% since 2012, figures reveal.Last year 71 prison staff were caught smuggling goods into the jails where they worked, compared with 45 in 2012, according to official data obtained by the Observer newspaper.The Ministry of Justice figures show in the last six years more than 340 people have undergone disciplinary or judiciary proceedings for bringing in drugs, mobile phones or other contraband items.