Special body orifice scanning system (Boss) chairs will be placed in YOIs across England and Wales to detect small metallic objects, such as mobile phones or weapons, concealed internally.
The move is part of a rev-amp of searching and security across the entire prison network, after a government report by ex-chief constable David Blakey on the supply of drugs published last July.
But concerns have been raised that the chairs may emit dangerous levels of magnetic fields, while campaign groups are split on whether their use is justified.
Mike Loughlin, whose firm Eurologix supplied chairs at £6,000 each for the pilot projects, is concerned that the majority of chairs were bought from outside the UK and adhere to different safety standards. He told CYP Now he has raised his worries with the Ministry of Justice.
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