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<p>By its very nature, drug trafficking is intended to be a clandestine activity.
It is therefore not possible to estimate a volume reduction in drugs being smuggled
into prisons. However, we are taking a number of steps to strengthen our prisons’
defences against this type of criminality.</p><p>To support the ‘reducing supply’
strand of the National Prison Drugs Strategy, we are taking decisive action to improve
security. This will make it much harder for illicit items to be smuggled in by prisoners,
staff and visitors; strengthen staff resilience to corruption; and target organised
criminals who exploit prisons as a lucrative illicit market. This package of measures
is being funded through the £100m investment to tackle crime behind bars, announced
by the Prime Minister last summer. This is funding tough new measures including X-ray
body scanners to detect items smuggled inside prisoners’ bodies. Our ability to tackle
drugs supply is also supported by efforts to reduce demand for drugs. This is why
the National Drugs Strategy takes a three-pronged approach and focusses on tackling
supply, reducing demand and building recovery from substance misuse.</p><p>A planned
evaluation of the £100m investment will consider the wider benefits and outcomes for
the safety and security of prisons as measures of success. It will use a range of
both quantitative and qualitative measures to assess whether delivery of the investment
has successfully reduced drug trafficking into prisons through the targeted supply
routes.</p>
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