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Prisons: Crimestoppers

My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Crispin Blunt) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. Today, I am advising the House that on 22 September we announced the launch of an enhanced Crimestoppers initiative in prisons. Crimestoppers will now report direct to the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) all prison-related matters, enabling a faster response. The launch was accompanied by a poster and leaflet campaign advertising the new arrangements, and this will be followed by other campaigns on key issues that affect security in prisons. All printing is being undertaken through a contract with prison industries, providing useful employment for prisoners. NOMS is determined to disrupt the criminal behaviour of prisoners. A key element is the ability to gather good quality intelligence and act quickly on information received. The Crimestoppers initiative provides a valuable source of intelligence with a particular focus on drugs and mobile phones. This will enhance NOMS’ ability to address these threats. This initiative is a very good example of the invaluable work that the third sector can undertake in prisons.