It could be a case of 
or Belmarsh prison blues after the government ordered offenders with electric and steel-stringed guitars to hand their instruments back, a Labour frontbencher has said.
Johnny Cash and his wife June Carter Cash leave the front gate of Kansas State Prison, circa 1968. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)Kevin Brennan, himself a guitarist, wants to know why the coalition has ordered the return of the types of guitar on which most modern rock and pop music is played.
Johnny Cash and Billy Bragg have shown the importance of music and guitars in particular in rehabilitating offenders, with Cash’s famous live albums recorded during the 1960s at Folsom Prison and San Quentin making music history.
During justice questions in the Commons, Mr Brennan said: “I don’t know about you but I’m quite a big fan of the late Johnny Cash who performed in prisons and Billy Bragg who started the initiative Jail Guitar Doors to provide guitars to those using musical instruments as a means of rehabilitation in prison.
“So why has the government banned the use of most of these instruments by ordering prisoners to return steel-stringed and electric guitars?”
Prisons Minister Jeremy Wright said he will look into whether the restrictions are fair.
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