Prisons: Drugs

(asked on 6th October 2017) - View Source

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders have taken part in programmes on drug recovery wings in prisons in each year since they were introduced.


Answered by
Phillip Lee Portrait
Phillip Lee
This question was answered on 16th October 2017

The Drug Recovery Wings (DRWs) pilots were launched in 2011/2012 in eight men’s and two women’s prisons in England and Wales running until 2015. The DRWs focussed primarily on drug and alcohol misusing offenders sentenced to between 3-12 months in custody, but the scope was extended in 2012 to include those on remand and those serving longer sentences who were in their last year of sentence.

An independent Evaluation of the Drug Recovery Wing Pilots was published on 5th October 2017 and provides information on the capacity of the wings within each prison. The Evaluation found that comparing the six months prior to incarceration and the six months following release, there was a reduction in self-reported substance use and crime. However, in the absence of a comparison group, this reduction cannot be attributed to the DRWs.

In the impact evaluation, 319 prisoners were interviewed at the beginning of their DRW engagement, 203 prior to their departure from the wing and 109 once they had been living back in the community for six months. The most common experience described by interviewees was being released into a hostel, or funded B&B. Of those interviewed post-release, it was self-reported that 12% reporting shoplifting, 9% theft other than from a vehicle and 9% handling stolen goods in the six months following release. [It’s important to note that there might selection bias meaning these reoffending rates might be an underestimate.]

Governors and local health commissioners decide if they wish to commission drug recovery wings when considering how best to meet the needs of their population. HMP Brixton and HMP Styal continue to run DRWs since the pilot ended and a number of establishments in partnership with Drug Treatment Providers established their own local recovery wings or therapeutic community models outside of the original pilot areas. Building on the DRWs, we are currently piloting new approaches to tackle the demand for and supply of drugs amongst prisoners, which includes developing a range of evidence based substance misuse treatment and provisions to support recovery in prison and through the gate.

Although no specific funding was provided to assist offenders who have participated in programmes on drug recovery wings, a new resettlement service was introduced in 2015 through which prisoners are given continuous support when they leave prison into the community. Almost all prisoners, including those on remand, now receive through-the-gate help and supervision to meet identified needs, including with substance misuse problems. These services are delivered by Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs), which work with prisons and locally commissioned substance misuse services to provide access for offenders.

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