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<p>Drugs pose a significant challenge in prisons, with nearly half of prisoners having
an identified drug need. It is therefore crucial we have a multi-pronged approach
to tackling drugs, combining security focused activity with treatment and recovery
initiatives so that individuals can break the cycle of reoffending and turn their
lives around.</p><p>The scale of the issue is clear, and data on drug finds in prisons
has remained consistently high in recent years. We also conduct random mandatory drug
testing in prisons to support our understanding of performance in establishments,
although volumes are not currently consistently high enough to enable robust, publishable
national data on the percentage of positive test results.</p><p>The number of incidents
where drugs were found in prisons, by gender of establishment, between April 2019
to March 2024 were[1]:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td colspan="5"><p>12
months ending March</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><em>2020</em></p></td><td><p><em>2021</em></p></td><td><p><em>2022</em></p></td><td><p><em>2023</em></p></td><td><p><em>2024</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Male
Establishments</p></td><td><p>20,235</p></td><td><p>18,736</p></td><td><p>16,098</p></td><td><p>13,864</p></td><td><p>20,049</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Female
Establishments</p></td><td><p>1,323</p></td><td><p>1,556</p></td><td><p>1,589</p></td><td><p>790</p></td><td><p>1,009</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total
drug find incidents</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>21,575</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>20,295</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>17,700</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>14,724</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>21,145</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>The number of drug find incidents at HMP Styal can also be found in the statistics
published in the HMPPS Annual Digest: <a href="https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.publishing.service.gov.uk%2Fmedia%2F66a100c1ce1fd0da7b592c5e%2F08_Finds_drug_type_data_tool.ods&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK"
target="_blank">08_Finds_drug_type_data_tool.ods</a>. It should also be noted that
both “illegal drug incidents” and “drug incidents” are being interpreted as drug find
incidents for this request and therefore the figures do not represent all drug-related
incidents. There are other drug related incidents that can occur within prison.</p><p>To
curb the supply of drugs, a range of security measures have been implemented, including
tackling the use of illicit mobile phones which are the single biggest enabler of
drug conveyance. These security measures include X-ray body scanners, airport-style
Enhanced Gate Security (EGS), X-ray baggage scanners, detection dogs, and specialist
equipment to alert staff to the potential presence of drugs on various items and materials.</p><p>Reducing
supply is only part of the solution; we also need to reduce the demand for drugs.
To drive down demand and support recovery, there are 85 prisons with Incentivised
Substance Free Living Units. These provide a dedicated, supportive environment for
any prisoner who wants to live drug-free in prison. To bring together this rehabilitative
and security focused approach to tackling drug use, 54 Drug Strategy Leads in key
prisons are working to ensure that local drug strategies are effectively implemented.</p><p>We
also conduct targeted drug testing in custody to help keep people safe, and identify
individuals who may benefit from a referral for a treatment referral, or inform disciplinary
action. Governors and Independent Adjudicators (IA) have a range of options available
to them to effectively manage drug taking behaviour, including awarding added days
to the time spent in custody (IA only). Rehabilitative activities can also be mandated
by governors as a condition of a punishment. Those prisoners who fail to comply with
the rehabilitative activity will have their suspended punishment activated. The Government
keeps the effectiveness of this process under review.</p><p>[1] <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2023-to-march-2024"
target="_blank">HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2023 to March 2024 - GOV.UK</a></p><p>Notes:</p><p>The
figures for drug incidents have been drawn from the HMPPS Incident Reporting System.
Care is taken when processing and analysing returns but the detail is subject to the
inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Although shown to the last
case, the figures may not be accurate to that level:</p><p>(1) Figures include incidents
at HMPPS operated Immigration Removal Centres and within the youth estate.</p><p>(2)
It is important to consider with incidents of finds in prisons that an increase in
numbers may be as a result of more items being found, as opposed to more items being
present. However, any increase in finds is not necessarily attributable to any one
particular security counter-measure.</p><p>(3) The sum of drug find incidents in Male
and Female establishments do not equal the total number incidents as there are drug
finds from other locations. This includes escort areas and Medway secure training
centre, which are included in the total number of drug find incidents.</p><p>(4) There
was a change in the way finds were recorded in March 2022. The reason for the change
was to make it easier for prisons to record incidents where multiple items were found
within one incident. Each find incident now enables the prisons to select single or
multiple types of find initially. For incidents with only a single type of find, the
prisons select the type of find from a drop down list, and can now input this information
much quicker. For incidents with multiple types of find, it should still be easier
for prisons to input this information, so may result in small increases in some of
the individual finds categories.</p><p>(5) The inclusion of new categories and changes
to some of the existing categories mean that finds incidents prior to March 2022 are
not directly comparable with later figures, so caution needs to be taken when interpreting
changes over the years.</p>
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