National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the Commissioner of the Israel Prison Service paid a surprise visit on Friday morning to one of the IPS's prison facilities in central Israel.
During the inspection, the minister disguised himself as a full-fledged prison guard to closely monitor the conduct of the shift, the vigilance of the guards, and their compliance with operational procedures.
Following the visit, Ben-Gvir stated, "I came early this morning to join an IPS shift disguised as a prison guard to get a close look at the revolution that I led with IPS Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi. I was deeply impressed by the exemplary order, the operational vigilance, and the drastic change to the guidelines. The IPS of today is a strong and deterring organization that rules with a strong fist."
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir added that he wishes to commend various teams, including the Nitzan Detention Facility, Neve Tirza Prison, the Intelligence Division of the Israel Prison Service, and the Nachshon Unit. According to him, “All of them are doing their work in the best possible way and have restored governance within the prison service. The people are the same people, but the reality has changed by 180 degrees."
The minister also noted that he plans to change the long-standing “strip search procedure." He said: “As part of improving operational precision, I have asked the Israel Prison Service commissioner to expedite the new procedure regarding strip searches conducted on every detainee and prisoner entering prisons. In most cases, there is no alternative to carrying out the search, but there are situations that require measured and professional discretion, while maintaining uncompromising security of the facility and the personnel."