Inmates use drug-infested jail as lab to create ‘potent' new blends

Telegraph

24-06-2025

Criminals at Britain's most drug-infested jail are using it as a laboratory to develop more 'potent' versions of drugs to be adopted across the prison estate, watchdogs have revealed.
HMP Hindley in Wigan is so awash with drugs that at one point this year more than three-quarters (77 per cent) of its inmates were positive in mandatory drugs tests. On average, more than half (55 per cent) test positive for drugs.
It is the highest rate of any prison in England and Wales with drugs being flown into the jail grounds and dropped off at a cell window within a minute, according to the prison's independent monitoring board (IMB). Prisoners are found under the influence 'virtually daily', said the IMB.
With drugs so freely available, the watchdog said prisoners were experimenting with blending them to create more potent varieties.
'With new and increasingly potent drugs becoming available, some being blended within the prison and tested on vulnerable men, the board is aware that this is not an isolated problem for Hindley and that such substances are regularly found right across the prison estate,' said the IMB.
Offenders are adopting a similar approach with 'hooch', illicit alcohol that can be made from fruit, sugar and bread, which they test on 'vulnerable' prisoners before wider circulation in the jail because of the risks of contamination.
'The production of illicit alcohol in the prison environment continues to result in behavioural problems and medical risks,' said the IMB.
'This uncontrolled liquid with unknown, untested ingredients remains one of the biggest risks to prisoners, where vulnerable prisoners are used to sample the latest 'brew' prior to its wider release.'
The watchdog said there was 'minimal deterrent' to stop drugs entering the prison through the routine searching of staff, contractors and other official visitors and their property.
'They can deliver a load accurately'
'Infrequent deployment of random searches, X-ray scanning of bags and deployment of drug detection dogs may be a contributory factor to the prevalence of illicit items entering the prison,' they said.
'Although frequent drones (around 150 during the year) are intercepted and their load seized, the improvements in technology and handling skills mean that they can deliver a load accurately, direct to a cell in under a minute.
''Throw over' events (where items are thrown into the prison over the fencing) continue and staff remain vigilant to intercepting the parcels where possible.'
The watchdog revealed that due to the prison's concern about the high levels of illicit items, it brought in an expert team to mount an unannounced major search of prisoners and cells.
However, it resulted in the prison governor and its board complaining to the Ministry of Justice and police being called in.
'Although many phones with supporting technology, illicit substances and weapons were found, the level of violence used by a few external officers was unacceptable to the board and governors, who have pursued the matter through the official complaints process, with some matters referred to the police,' said the IMB.
A Prison Service spokesman said: 'We have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs in prison and through our new drug-free units, like the one at HMP Hindley, we are helping the highest-ever proportion of offenders overcome their addiction.
'We are also boosting training for staff to better spot and support those with substance misuse issues while our £100 million investment in tough security measures such as X-ray body scanners is stopping more illicit drugs from entering jails in the first place.'