The misuse of drugs in prison is one of the biggest challenges facing the UK criminal justice system. Drug misuse is prevalent and contributes to violence, crime and vulnerability within prisons. So says the Ministry of Justice’s prison drugs strategy.
The document describes drugs in prison as ‘a complex, multi-faceted problem with no simple answer’. It’s getting worse, the document admits; and psychoactive substances such as synthetic cannabinoids have made the problem worse. The document links drugs misuse to safety in prison (for prisoners and staff): “The misuse of drugs contributes to a cycle of disruption and violence, leading to a reduced or unstable regime, which through unpredictability and lack of purpose can encourage prisoners to turn to drugs and alcohol. The debt resulting from the supply, distribution and use of drugs is also a significant cause of violence, intimidation and self-harm across the estate, endangering both staff and other prisoners.”
The strategy, by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS), proposes to restrict supply and reduce demand; and to give treatment for recovery. For the 24-page document in full visit gov.uk.
Background
The Government’s approach to prison funding to accommodate growing population forecasts is inefficient, ineffective, and unsustainable, says the Justice Select Committee of MPs in a report. The report warned that the ‘crisis in prison standards and safety has deepened’. Witnesses giving evidence to the committee included Jerry Petherick of the private prisons contractor G4S; and Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.
Numerous inspections have found prisons with drugs readily available, many prisoners feeling unsafe, and a vicious cycle of fear and boredom fuelling a demand for drugs, including new psychoactive substances (NPS), and increasing violence. HMP Onley, a training prison in Warwickshire with most of its prisoners from London, was found by inspectors reporting in March 2019 to have high levels of drugs and violence. Peter Clarke said the prison had been assessed as ‘poor’ for safety – the lowest assessment – at the previous inspection in 2016. When inspectors visited in November 2018, Mr Clarke added, it was “particularly disappointing” to find Onley was still fundamentally unsafe.
At the charity the Howard League for Penal Reform, Frances Crook, Chief Executive, said: “Onley’s story typifies the dislocation and disorder that exists within our troubled prison system. Here is a prison that was itself dislocated, under misguided reforms led by Chris Grayling, now holding men who have been dislocated from their families and often placed far from home. Many are then exposed to drugs and violence.
“Ministers have rightly identified that we must ease pressure on prisons like Onley. Ultimately, reducing the number of prisoners is the key to saving lives, protecting staff and making the public safer.”
Meanwhile Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is taking over the running of Birmingham Prison. The public sector took it in-house for an initial six months in August 2018, which was extended in February until the end of the summer. It was run by G4S, until an ‘Urgent Notification’ by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. G4S staff at Birmingham will transfer to HMPPS contracts on July 1. G4S is paying £9.9m to cover the extra cost of the ‘step-in’ action – including extra HMPPS staff.
G4S Custodial and Detention Services Managing Director, Jerry Petherick, said: “HMP Birmingham is an inner-city remand prison which faces exceptional challenges including high levels of prisoner violence towards staff and fellow prisoners. We believe that it is in the best interests of staff and the company that management of this prison is transferred to HMPPS and we will work closely with the Ministry of Justice to ensure a smooth transition over the next three months.”
Picture by Mark Rowe; Leicester.
