REVEALED: Ministry of Justice splurges £8.5 MILLION on flat-screen TVs for criminals
THE Ministry of Justice has been slammed for splurging a staggering £8.4million on flat-screen TVs for inmates.
The Ministry of Justice spent £8.4million on TVs for prisoners last year
Hundreds of convicted criminals have been given access to the luxury sets in the past year, shocking new figures have revealed.
A further £1.5million was spent on sports kit to keep inmates fit, while an eye-watering £460k went on gardening equipment.
Other staggering costs include £60,000 on a prison radio station in Brixton and £30,000 on a hairdressing service at HMP Liverpool.
Jonathan Isaby, Chief Executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, slammed the remarkable figures, saying: "It's hard to see how TVs will help with the rehabilitation process.
"Prisons should focus on security and getting prisoners ready to rejoin law-abiding society."
Prison guards' uniforms and shoes cost taxpayers £34million, while £400,000 was spent training officials to use lie-detector machines.
One of the biggest costs was food, with £300m paid to wholesaler Booker Direct – plus £230m on bread and pastry.
A Prison Service spokesperson defended the costs and insisted rules have been toughened since 2013 to stop offenders watching TV "all day".
He added: "These TVs cost the taxpayer nothing as money is recouped by charging prisoners £1 a week to rent the sets. Last year this generated nearly £2 million."