Robotic dogs could soon replace prison officers in chasing drugs and cellphones behind bars

ROBOT dogs are lined up to stop the flow of contraband such as drugs and cellphones into prisons.

The mutts would be outfitted with cameras so they could constantly patrol outside the prisons, on the lookout for breakouts or illegal goods being thrown over the walls.

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It saves prison officials time-consuming patrols.

And the mechanical puppies could also become pets for well-behaved prisoners who would take them on country walks wearing virtual reality headsets.

The ideas will be considered by the government when testing virtual reality software.

It could also allow officers using headsets to safely board scenarios such as riots, fires and hostage situations — without leaving the classroom.

One IT professional said of VR training: “In the past, training was either done on paper or through traditional video simulators.

“VR training is much more immersive because it puts the user in the environment they are working in.

“The goal is to help officers train as if they were actually on the ground, so they learn to deal with real-life situations and have an easier time analyzing such situations themselves.”

Justice Department chief Jo Farrar was pictured next to a robotic dog at a tech innovation meeting.

She said: “From virtual reality prison simulation to robotic dogs – great to witness some of the future technologies that could help transform the way service is delivered.”