Landline phones will be installed in prison cells for the first time in Scotland, with priosners able to phone friends and family frm tehr comfort of their beds.
The Scottish Prison Service said the move will mental health and wellbeingand reduce the risk of reoffending.
But North East Scotland MSP Tess White has raised concerns, saying said the Scottish Government must ensure the new phones are tamper-proof.
More than 370 mobile phones were confiscated from prisoners at HMP Grampian between January 2022 and June 20 this year.
The Herald wants to know what you think: Should prisoners have phones in their cells?
Read more of our coverage on this issue and others affecting the Scottish Justice system:
Scottish jails to have landlines installed
Barlinnie governor: Scots 'not ready for enlightened penal systems'
Barlinnie boss says trans inmates 'no fuss or bother'
Scotland has second highest prison rate in western Europe, study shows
The Irish are calling us inhumane. They’re right
Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs, Angela Constance, said said that the move is a "welcome development.
She said: “The introduction of landline telephones in cells is a welcome development by the Scottish Prison Service and marks a continuation of Scottish Government investment in modernising our prison estate.
“This will help people in custody maintain contact with friends and family, including their children, which we know is crucial to their rehabilitative journey."
“It will also pave the way for in-cell education and give people in custody greater responsibility for their own lives – and will help ensure safe and stable prison environments.”
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