Inmates accessing phones, Facebook despite incarceration

Incarcerated men at Her Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's have been accessing social media accounts, despite being behind bars.

For example, Philip Pynn, accused in the death of Nick Winsor, has had an active Facebook account since being jailed in 2011.

While Pynn remains in custody, new photos have been uploaded to the account, and messages have been sent to friends.

CBC News spoke to former and current guards and inmates at HMP who allege cell phones are being smuggled into the prison, and sometimes family and friends take control of Facebook accounts.

Prison officials said inmates, and even staff, aren't allowed access to the internet inside prison walls.

Regardless, inmates at HMP are posting statuses on a steady basis; one inmate even posted video of the August 2013 riot at the penitentiary, which was published online in April.

The Department of Justice said in a statement on Wednesday that any cellphone discovered on an inmate is confiscated immediately, but it is not a frequent occurrence.