Recommendation 183

Our evidence overwhelmingly points to a systemic failure to maintain physical measures which act as prisons’ first line of defence. The operational effectiveness of physical security is being defeated by avoidable delays in maintenance, inadequate resourcing and overly bureaucratic procurement processes, rather than sophisticated criminal innovation. The structural integrity of the prison estate and the speed of repairs for critical security infrastructure, such as netting and windows, are currently insufficient to meet the threat posed by throwovers and drone deliveries. (Conclusion, Paragraph 84)