UK prison holds more foreign inmates than Brits

Wednesday, 6 August 2003 12:00 AM

It has been revealed that a prison in Lincolnshire has more foreign inmates than British ones.

Morton Hall women's prison has 350 inmates, of which two thirds are foreign nationals. The situation was reported by inspectors who said they had never seen this situation before.

Around ten thousand foreign nationals are inmates in British prisons, which presently hold a record 74,000 prisoners.

Although only one prison holds more foreign nationals than British ones, the level is rising and may be related to drug smuggling.

Morton Hall recently received a good report from the Chief Inspector of Prisons, and The Director General of the Prison Service, Phil Wheatley, commented: 'I am pleased that, despite the problems caused by the growth in the prison population, it is essentially safe. The accommodation is excellent, and the regime good, and I am pleased to note the recognition of the excellent provision for foreign national prisoners.'

While there are more than one hundred foreign nationalities represented in the prison population, the largest is Jamaican, and this is similarly so in Morton Hall.

Jamaica is a major source of drugs coming into the UK with women traveling to the UK as 'drugs mules'. This practice often leaves the women facing criminal charges, and if they are not caught, it fuels crime among Jamaican gangs already active in the UK.

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