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<p>In 2016/17, there were 206 incidents where Spice was found in South Yorkshire prisons,
and in 2017/18, there were 154 incidents. Data for finds of psychoactive substances
in the months since March 2018 will be available on GOV.UK in July 2019, as part of
the Annual HMPPS Digest. The number of drug finds reflects not only the number of
attempts to convey illicit substances into our prisons but also our success in finding
these drugs.</p><p> </p><p>Psychoactive substances are a game changer for prison safety,
and this statistic reinforces the scale of the challenge. We are addressing this head
on, and have invested £7 million in modern technology, including phone blocking technology
and improved searching techniques. We have made it a criminal offence to possess psychoactive
substances in prison and trained more than 300 sniffer dogs specifically to detect
these drugs.</p><p> </p><p>We are also adopting pioneering approaches such as our
‘Drug Recovery Prison’ pilot at HMP Holme House, which is leading the way in tackling
the supply of drugs and putting offenders on a long-term path to recovery.</p>
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