A committee of Members of Parliament has issued a warning about the pervasive drug problem in prisons, calling for an end to the culture of acceptance surrounding the issue. The Justice Committee highlighted that 39% of inmates find it easy to access drugs, leading to significant challenges for the HM Prisons and Probation Service in maintaining control and aiding in the rehabilitation of offenders.

According to a report released recently, the crisis has resulted in an “unacceptable” number of deaths related to drugs within the prison system. The investigation revealed that 16% of the 833 deaths examined between December 2022 and 2024 were linked to drug abuse, as reported by the prisons ombudsman.

The committee’s cross-party report unveiled concerning statistics, with 11% of male prisoners and 19% of female inmates admitting to developing substance abuse issues since entering prison. Notably, there has been a notable shift towards the use of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), posing a significant threat due to their affordability, accessibility, and potency.

Urgent measures are recommended by the report to enhance prison drug testing protocols and review medication dispensing procedures to address vulnerabilities. Furthermore, the committee urged the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to increase Mandatory Drug Testing rates to pre-pandemic levels and expedite the implementation of wastewater-based surveillance to detect new substances.

The report also highlighted concerns regarding the use of drones to smuggle contraband into prisons, including drugs, mobile phones, weapons, and potentially explosives. Incidents of drone sightings around prisons have surged by 77% between 2019 and 2023.

Chair of the Justice Committee, Labour MP Andy Slaughter, emphasized the severity of the situation, describing the drug crisis in prisons as reaching “endemic” levels. Slaughter underscored the urgent need to address the inflow of drugs orchestrated by criminal organizations, combat the rising demand for narcotics, and tackle the evolving challenges posed by advanced drone technology.

The Justice Department has been contacted for further comments on the matter.