Prison chiefs slammed for spending £12m on flatscreen TVs for inmates

Prison chiefs are slammed for spending £12m on flatscreen TVs for inmates in just four years

  • Some 128,037 televisions were bought at an average cost of £96 each
  • Freedom of Information request revealed £12.5million has been spent on sets
  • Prisoners provided with televisions between February 2017 and December 2020 

Prison chiefs have been slammed for spending £12million on flatscreen televisions for inmates in just four years.  

Some 128,037 televisions were bought at an average cost of £96 each between February 2017 and December 2020.  

A total of £12,547,626 was spent on televisions for Britons behind bars since 2017, according to a Freedom of Information Request by The Sun.

Some 128,037 televisions were bought at an average cost of £96 each between February 2017 and December 2020 (file image)

A campaigner and adoptive mother of a victim blasted it as ‘an utter waste of money’.

Paula Hudgell, 52, is mother to Tony, six, whose parents abused him so badly both his legs had to be amputated. Mrs Hudgell said: ‘It is just another slap in the face for victims who think those behind bars should be punished and not handed out treats.’

A spokesman for the prison service said: ‘Prisoners pay for TVs. They are removed from those who misbehave.’ 

In November 2016 there was uproar over a £10million scheme to give every inmate a flatscreen TV, sports equipment and gardening tools. 

Paula Hudgell (left), 52, is mother to Tony (right), six, whose parents abused him so badly both his legs had to be amputated

In 2015 figures released by the Ministry of Justice revealed an £8.4million TV fund, a £1.5million budget for sports equipment and £460,000 for gardening tools. 

At the time Glyn Travis, the assistant secretary of the Prison Officers Association, told the Sun’s Andy Gardner: ‘We recognise that prisoners should live in decent conditions, but surely protection from the threat of violence and intimidation should be first?

‘We need more prison officers now, not better TV’s.’ 

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