British prisoners could get email access if a limited Home Office trial proves successful.

Inmates will be able to send and receive emails from pre-approved addresses. All messages will be stored and monitored and will be plain text only with no attachments or pictures.

A spokeswoman for the Home Office told the Reg: "This will only go ahead when we are sure there are mechanisms in place to stop abuses." She would not comment on which prisons will trial the service because the idea is still in the planning stage.

Prisoners already have controlled access to telephones by using a PIN system which allows them to call a limited set of numbers.®

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