Tackling drugs in prisons

Justice Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 17 Dec 2024 Closed: 22 Apr 2026 Parliament page
The Justice Committee has launched an inquiry that will examine the scale and impact of drugs in prisons in England and Wales, including the primary factors driving demand. The inquiry will consider the implications of drug misuse in prisons including safety, security, staffing and prisoner well-being. The inquiry will look … Read more
11 Recommendations
30 Conclusions
1 Report
2 Oral sessions
1 Letter
3 Events
Activity timeline 8 events
9 Jan
2026
Report published
31 Oct
2025
Report published
22 Jul
2025
Correspondence
8 Jul
2025
Oral evidence
8 Jul
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
25 Mar
2025
Formal meeting (private meeting) · Room 13, Palace of Westminster
25 Feb
2025
Oral evidence
25 Feb
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 6, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 2 sessions
8 Jul 2025
View on parliament.uk
Matt Grey · HM Prison and Probation Service Richard Vince CBE · HM Prison and Probation Service The Lord Timpson OBE DL · Ministry of Justice
25 Feb 2025
View on parliament.uk
Babafemi Dada · HMP Long Lartin Charlie Taylor · HM Inspectorate of Prisons Dame Carol Black Elisabeth Davies · Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB) Natalie McKee · HMP Hindley Rob Luxford · HMP Liverpool
Title HC No. Published Items Response
6th Report - Tackling the drugs crisis in our prisons HC 557 31 Oct 2025 41 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
8 results
Clear
190 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Tackling the drugs cr…
Employ dedicated intelligence-sharing protocols and joint task forces against organised drone and phone gangs
While current partnerships with police and the National Crime Agency aimed at tackling drone incursions are positive, they are not sufficient. The MoJ and HMPPS must employ dedicated intelligence-sharing protocols and joint task forces to specifically target the organised criminal … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts, recognizing the threat and highlighting existing intelligence-sharing protocols with law enforcement. It rejects leading dedicated task forces for organized crime, stating this is the responsibility of the Home Office and policing, but commits to supporting cross-government efforts and funding 47 policing roles.
Ministry of Justice
View details
191 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Tackling the drugs cr…
Develop and deploy comprehensive anti-drone strategy and technology across high-risk prisons
A clear and sufficiently resourced strategy is needed to address the evolving nature of drone technology. This strategy should look beyond current capabilities and anticipate future threats, such as the potential for drone- facilitated escapes and the delivery of firearms, … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts, committing to developing a comprehensive counter-UAS strategy and launching industry challenges. A program to upgrade physical security at high-risk sites, including drone-resistant designs and barriers, will commence delivery by the end of 2025, but specific anti-drone technologies like 'Sky Fence' are not explicitly committed.
Ministry of Justice
View details
192 Conclusion Accepted in Part
6th Report - Tackling the drugs cr…
Eliminating external communication is critical to disrupting prison drug supply chains
Given that the Organised Crime Group market is based on reliable means of communication and that sophisticated smartphones are readily available within prisons, eliminating external communication is the single most critical intervention to disrupt drug supply chain management, debt coordination … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the committee's observation, detailing a wide-ranging existing programme to prevent illicit mobile phones from entering prisons, detect and disrupt their use, and investigate offences. They are also concluding a tender for new mobile phone capabilities and developing operational guidance to support staff.
Ministry of Justice
View details
193 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Tackling the drugs cr…
Accelerate deployment of advanced contraband detection and signal disruption technology with trained personnel
The MoJ must ring-fence funds to accelerate the deployment of advanced contraband detection and signal disruption technology across the prison estate. Crucially, this must be paired with specialised recruitment and ongoing training to ensure personnel are proficient in operating the … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation, detailing recent tendering for new mobile phone capabilities and efforts to develop guidance and review training packages for staff. It highlights existing dedicated search teams and intelligence analysis capabilities to detect and disrupt contraband, but does not commit to ring-fencing funds.
Ministry of Justice
View details
194 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Tackling the drugs cr…
Collaborate to develop systems tracking electronic transactions linked to OCG activity in prisons
HMPPS must urgently collaborate with law enforcement and financial institutions to develop and deploy systems capable of tracking electronic transactions linked to known or suspected OCG activity in the prison context. (Recommendation, Paragraph 113)
Government Response
The government partially accepts, rejecting the need to develop new systems as HMPPS already has a Financial Investigation Unit and services like 'Send Money to Someone in Prison' with intelligence interfaces to track transactions. However, they commit to strengthening existing financial intelligence capabilities and collaboration with law enforcement and financial institutions.
Ministry of Justice
View details
196 Conclusion Accepted in Part
6th Report - Tackling the drugs cr…
Effective collaboration requires consistent intelligence sharing to disrupt OCG drone operations
Collaboration between HMPPS and law enforcement agencies, such as the National Crime Agency and local police, is critical in identifying and disrupting the OCGs behind drone operations. We are pleased to hear that HMPPS have developed good working relationships with … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts, agreeing on the importance of strong partnerships and intelligence-sharing. They detail existing collaborations with law enforcement, but reject leading dedicated organised crime task forces, stating this is a responsibility for the Home Office and policing. They commit to supporting cross-government efforts and co-lead a new Quarterly Partnership Board.
Ministry of Justice
View details
199 Conclusion Accepted in Part
6th Report - Tackling the drugs cr…
Complex and fragmented commissioning structure compromises prison substance misuse and healthcare services.
The commissioning structure for substance misuse and healthcare services is complex and fragmented. This compromises the efficacy of treatment outcomes and continuity of care for prisoners. The current healthcare model, where a single contractor covers all health services and then … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the observation of commissioning complexity, stating NHS England is developing a new commissioning structure for Health and Justice services, and is revising the National Substance Misuse Service Specification to ensure consistency, with a publication target of Summer 2026. They also commit to strengthening Local and National Partnership Agreements.
Ministry of Justice
View details
200 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Tackling the drugs cr…
Mandate overhauling prison substance misuse commissioning, separating services from general healthcare contracts.
The MoJ and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) must mandate an overhaul of the current commissioning model for prison-based substance misuse treatment services. We agree with Dame Carol Black that these services must be commissioned directly and separately … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts, stating NHS England is developing a new commissioning structure for Health and Justice services and revising the National Substance Misuse Service Specification. This revision, involving prison governors and stakeholders, will be published by the end of Summer 2026 to improve consistency and integrated working.
Ministry of Justice
View details
Government Response AI assessment · 41 of 11 classified
Accepted 6
Accepted in Part 8
Acknowledged 2
Deferred 24
Rejected 1
Total 11 recs + 30 conclusions
Correspondence 1 letter
22 Jul 2025 Correspondence from Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, dated 22 July 2025 relating to the oral evidence session held on 8 July 2025
Parliament page