Smugglers who attempt to pass banned cell phones to Westgate inmates could find themselves facing a stiff jail sentence.Government is planning to introduce tough new penalties, including lengthier custodial sentences, for anyone convicted of trying to sneak contraband phones to prisoners.Announcing the crackdown in the House of Assembly yesterday, Public Safety Minister Michael Dunkley said that the availability of cell phones to prisoners “has the potential to frustrate the ends of justice and to pose serious risks to the safety of the wider public”.The Minister said that Cabinet had approved penalty increases for conveying phones and other contraband into the prison, and that laws will be amended “to provide a sentencing regime around specific, prohibited articles, including cell phones”.Currently offenders can be jailed for up to six months for bringing "prohibited articles" into the prison.That legislation was drafted more than 30 years ago, before cell phones became widely used, Mr Dunkley said.“A cell phone in the hands of an inmate can be a tool to continue the conduct for which they have been imprisoned in the first place.“This will not be tolerated, and those who supply phones to prisoners can also expect to feel the full brunt of the law,” he added.Last year prison officers claimed that banned items — including cell phones — were being smuggled into Westgate on almost a daily basis. It is understood a cell phone can exchange hands for as much as $1,500 once inside the facility.Yesterday Mr Dunkley said: “Keeping Bermuda safe is not solely the responsibility of the police. The gang lifestyle which inevitably leads to imprisonment, injury or death, does not check itself at the prison gate. This Government will not tolerate any activity within the prison walls that further undermines the integrity of the work of so many within the criminal justice system.”Mr Dunkley did not reveal details of the planned penalty hikes, saying only that they would be “substantial”. Pointing out that 77 cell phones were recovered in the prison last year, he warned that the new laws would give the authorities “more teeth” to crack down on offenders.“It is intended that the amended legislation will set out a list of certain specific items which, if conveyed into a prison, will be punishable as an offence with periods of imprisonment and or fines,” he said.“Attempts at committing these offences will also be punished.”Responding to questions from the Opposition bench, Mr Dunkley pointed out that prisoners were currently able to make telephone calls at certain times “following approved standards”.And he said that signal blocking technology at the prison, which can prevent calls being made on unauthorised phones through “jamming”, was under review.He dismissed one suggestion that prison visits would be unnecessary if visitors instead made contact with inmates through Skype, saying that would infringe on the rights of prisoners.“These measures form part of an overall review of various aspects of security within the Department of Corrections,” Mr Dunkley concluded.“The Commissioner and the Prison Officers’ Association have emphasised the importance of secure facilities. In addition to these legislative initiatives work is under way to modernise the system of internal radios within Corrections to ensure that officers have a working system in which they have confidence. Perimeter integrity, officer and inmate safety and high standards of training will all be addressed as priorities within the department.”