Tougher sanctions may be needed to ensure inmates at a north-east superjail cannot use mobile phones to engage in further criminality, an MSP has said.
New figures show 114 illicit devices have been seized from prisoners at HMP Grampian since it opened four years ago.
That compares to 12 finds at HMP Inverness, 128 at HMP Perth and 183 at HMP Edinburgh since 2014.
All mobile phone recoveries made at the £140million facility in Peterhead are reported to the police and inmates can have time added on to their sentences if they are caught.
Shadow justice secretary and north-east MSP Liam Kerr said, however, that while that should act as a warning to inmates using phones tougher sanctions may be needed.
He said: “It’s important to make sure prisoners can’t carry on any kind of criminal activity.
“But communication is now impossible to separate from any type of technology and HMP Grampian’s population is growing every year.
“So, prison officers have a very hard job detecting such small devices, though they work very hard in a challenging environment.
“It’s only proper that every instance is recorded and reported to Police Scotland.
“The potential for months to be added on to a sentence should be enough of a deterrent.
“If this is not having the desired effect then perhaps it’s time to revisit how much extra time should be added – or other sanctions.”
A spokeswoman for the Scottish Prison Service said the discovery of mobile phones and other prohibited devices was down to the efforts of their staff.
She said: “Any prohibited items being recovered within our establishments can be attributed to the professionalism and diligence of our staff and partners, advances in technology and the deployment of various methods of detection, such as intelligence gathering.
“The possession of a mobile phone in prison is a criminal offence. Anyone found in possession of such devices is reported it to the relevant authorities.”
HMP Grampian has a staff of 235 prison officers who currently look after 424 inmates.
