Illegal Filming in UK Prisons : Stamping Out Harmful Content.

Presently, it is not an offence for someone outside a prison to upload a video they have been sent by a person in custody. This position, in my opinion, has got to change as a matter of priority.

In 2023, 890 pieces of harmful and potentially distressing prison content were found online, risking further trauma and harm to victims and threatening the security of prisons and prison staff.

A tragic example of the distress caused are the actions of a defendant convicted of the murder of a young man named Jack Woodley. Sedgefield MP Paul Howell told Parliament about a "disturbing" incident involving one of the teenage killers of 18-year-old Jack, who had made a TikTok video appearing to be from prison in which he rapped about his sentence, implying that it wasn’t serious. It is distressing to imagine the pain caused to Jack’s mother, Zoey McGill and to his wider family and friends.

The Prison Media Bill aims to tighten up existing legislation, namely the Prison Act 1952, by removing the loopholes that criminals have been hiding behind to disseminate illicit and distressing content to the public. The Bill has three objectives:

One

To clarify in statute the illegality of recording the inside of the prison from the outside (for instance, via drone)

Two

Three

The Bill will also force social media platforms to remove such content as their use would then be for illegal or unlawful purposes and against their terms of service. Previously content filmed in prisons has remained on social media platforms if it could not be proven that it was uploaded from inside a prison’s walls. The new offences would be punishable by an unlimited fine.

The Bill was put forward under the Conservative government and it is unclear what priority the new Labour government will give to it. However, progress needs to be made quickly in order to safeguard the welfare of victims and to ensure the safety and security of prisons and their staff.

Wendy Brook-Evans: Eyes on Crime Regular Contributor.