Drugs crisis in jails ‘worse than ever’ as seizures by prison officers near record-high
Experts lift lid on drugs crisis in prisons
- Experts warn that the drug crisis in British prisons is at an unprecedented level, making jails "almost impossible to run positively".
- Annual drug seizures by prison officers have reached record highs, with over 21,000 recorded in the year to March 2024, marking a 35 per cent increase.
- The widespread availability of illicit substances has led to a surge in medical emergencies, violence, and debt within prisons, with "blue-light" ambulance responses now a regular occurrence.
- The crisis significantly worsened during austerity years due to cuts in staffing and addiction treatment programmes, compounded by the emergence of new synthetic drugs and drone deliveries.
- Despite government claims of a "zero-tolerance approach" and new security measures, experts confirm that drugs remain the biggest challenge facing many prisons, driving criminality and undermining safety.