Experts lift lid on drugs crisis in prisons
Annual drug seizures by prison officers have reached record highs, with over 21,000 recorded in the year to March 2024, marking a 35 per cent increase.
The widespread availability of illicit substances has led to a surge in medical emergencies, violence, and debt within prisons, with "blue-light" ambulance responses now a regular occurrence.
The crisis significantly worsened during austerity years due to cuts in staffing and addiction treatment programmes, compounded by the emergence of new synthetic drugs and drone deliveries.
Despite government claims of a "zero-tolerance approach" and new security measures, experts confirm that drugs remain the biggest challenge facing many prisons, driving criminality and undermining safety.
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