A committee of Members of Parliament (MPs) has raised concerns about the pervasive drug problem in prisons, emphasizing the critical need to break the culture of acceptance surrounding the issue. According to the Justice Committee, 39% of inmates have easy access to drugs, severely impacting the ability of the HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) to maintain order and aid in the rehabilitation of offenders.
The committee’s report highlighted the alarming human toll of the crisis, with 16% of 833 deaths investigated between December 2022 and 2024 attributed to drug-related causes by the prisons ombudsman. The report revealed that a significant percentage of prisoners, 11% of men and 19% of women, developed substance abuse issues upon entering prison, including a concerning trend towards using New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) due to their affordability, accessibility, and potency.
To address this pressing issue, the report urged the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and HMPPS to take immediate action to enhance prison drug testing protocols and conduct a comprehensive review of prescription medication dispensing procedures to close any existing loopholes. Additionally, the committee called for an increase in Mandatory Drug Testing rates and the swift implementation of wastewater-based surveillance to detect new substances.
Concerns were also raised about the growing use of drones to smuggle contraband into prisons, posing a serious security risk. Incidents of drone sightings around prisons have surged by 77% between 2019 and 2023, with reports of drones delivering drugs, mobile phones, weapons, and potentially explosives.
Chair of the Justice Committee, Labour MP Andy Slaughter, emphasized the urgent need to address the endemic levels of drug trafficking within the prison system, stressing that failure to combat this issue jeopardizes safety, control, and rehabilitation efforts. Slaughter highlighted the harmful impact of highly potent NPS on violence, debt, and fatal overdoses, underscoring the inadequacy of the current testing regime in tackling this crisis.
The Justice Department has been contacted for further comments on these pressing concerns.