Prisons: Drugs

Ministry of Justice written question – answered on 29th January 2020.

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Photo of Conor McGinn Conor McGinn Opposition Whip (Commons)

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of inmates developing drug problems.

Photo of Lucy Frazer Lucy Frazer The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice

Initiatives including Offender Management in custody are developing and supporting rehabilitative cultures in prison, so that individuals will be supported and, if necessary referred to substance misuse services, including if their circumstances change whilst in custody.

Last year we published The National Prison Drug Strategy which has three strands: restricting supply, reducing demand and ensuring prisoners are encouraged to engage in meaningful activity and treatment interventions.

Illicit substances pose huge challenges in our prisons which is why we are investing £100million in airport-style security - including x-ray body scanners - to stop them getting in. This is part of our £2.75billion investment to make jails safer for offenders and staff, while working closely with healthcare providers to ensure prisoners have the support they need to live drug-free upon release.

Consequently, ensuring that the prison environment provides opportunities to engage in purposeful activity and commit to positive change is key to providing hope for the future and encouraging prisoners to turn away from drugs

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