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<table><tbody><tr><td><p>Her Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service has been investigating
and evaluating the risks of second-hand exposure to psychoactive substances to prison
staff. A pilot programme was run at Holme House prison in 2018 which involved anonymous
pre and post-shift sampling of 15 volunteers. 122 samples were tested, and no metabolites
of synthetic cannabinoids were detected. On the advice of toxicologists from Public
Health England, HMPPS subsequently embarked on a programme of post-incident testing
in 10 prisons on the 1 March 2019. All samples require the consent of the member of
staff. As of 7 June 2019, 28 members of staff have been offered testing post-incident,
with 17 staff consenting and providing a sample.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We
are in the process of selecting 10 additional establishments to expand and accelerate
the programme. The 10 prisons already included in the programme are HMPs Hewell, Ranby,
Dartmoor, Holme House, Channing’s Wood, Low Newton, Durham, The Mount, Wymott and
Portland.</p>
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