Communication

Publications

Return

UK Prison Drugs Strategy

UK Prison Drugs Strategy

HM Prison and Probation Service

National agency responsible for prison and probation services in England and Wales announces three-point plan for tackling the presence of drugs and drug use problems, based on the principles of restricting supply, reducing demand, and building recovery.

The availability of illicit drugs in prisons is a threat to safety and security, obstructing recovery for prisoners with drug use problems and leading others to develop problems while in prison. The Prison Drugs Strategy creates a pathway for real and positive change across the prison estate – reducing or eliminating activities that cause serious harm, enabling prisoners to live law-abiding lives, and supporting them to overcome addiction.

Complementing the themes of the 2017 Drug Strategy, the strategy is split into three sections, supporting the aims of (1) restricting supply, (2) reducing demand, and (3) building recovery. Underneath each aim, the strategy identifies actions relating to five domains that impact the levels of drug use in prisons:

Access

The European Commission is preparing a third phase of this programme, therefore COPOLAD will be back at the beginning of 2021.