Burglars in prison paid £20 a week to quiz you about your valuables: Convicts asking unsuspecting families if they want to save money on house insurance



Inmates read script which sees them ask for names and postcodes

Those at HMP Oakwood and Drake Hall ask about possessions value

Prisoners say they are ringing up on behalf of a market research firm

Inmates at both jails do not reveal they are calling from behind bars



Prisoners are earning £20 a week phoning householders and quizzing them about their valuables.



Burglars and other criminals are asking unsuspecting families if they would like to save money on their home insurance.



The inmates get paid to read from a script which includes asking potential customers their names and postcodes.

'Contained': A G4S spokesman said that the incident at HMP Oakwood, near Wolverhampton, had been contained

They also inquire about the total value of their possessions – including details of any worth large sums.



The scheme, which was launched two months ago, has been introduced at HMP Oakwood, near Wolverhampton, and Drake Hall women’s prison in Eccleshall, Staffordshire.

The prisoners say they are ringing up on behalf of a market research company and do not reveal they are calling from behind bars.



Last night a horrified source said: ‘This may have put hundreds of homes’ security at risk.’



In March 2009, Drake Hall (left) was re-designated from a semi-open women's jail to a closed prison. Labour MP Keith Vaz (right) said: 'This is not work prisoners should be involved in'

A Ministry of Justice spokesman confirmed the controversial scheme was operating.



Unsuspecting families are being asked by burglars and other criminals if they would like to save money on their home insurance (file picture)

He said: ‘We do not want prisoners sitting idle in their cells when they should be working towards their rehabilitation.

‘We prepare offenders for work inside prison so they can get a job after release – this reduces the chances that they will reoffend in the future, meaning lower crime and fewer victims.

‘All prisoners working in call centres are risk-assessed and stringent security measures are in place, with calls supervised and recorded.’



The spokesman said the full address details were not made available to the prisoners and they did not take a pen into the call room so they could not write any details down.

He also stressed that the computers the prisoners use do not have access to the internet. The inmates wear telephone headsets as they sit at the specially prepared jail call centres. They phone homeowners using a script.

A source said: ‘When they get through, they are told to ask, “Would you like to save some money?” Most customers say yes.

‘They then ask to confirm names and postcode, enough to identify where they live, and if they have valuable items.’

Last night Peter Cuthbertson, of the Centre for Crime Prevention, said: ‘Trusting criminals with people’s financial details is incredibly naive.



HOW DOES THE SYSTEM WORK?

Prisoners walk into a prepared call centre inside the jail and are given a headseat. They sit down at an 'isolated' computer which has no internet access - and they are not allowed to bring in any writing implements. They use a script to call homeowners and ask them to confirm their names and postcodes - but are not given the person's full address. They also inquire about the total value of their possessions and ask homeowners if they would like to save money on their home insurance.

'Burglars will know who to target when they are released.’

Labour MP Keith Vaz said: ‘This is not work prisoners should be involved in.’

In March 2009, Drake Hall was re-designated from a semi-open women’s jail to a closed prison.



Last month, HMP Oakwood was one of two privately-run prisons the Ministry of Justice had ‘serious concerns’ over. The jail, run by G4S, was given the lowest performance rating of one.

