The UK government will invest £9m (~€10.1m) in a pilot scheme to tackle drugs supply and consumption in one of the country’s prisons.
The project will be launched at HMP Holme House in County Durham, UK. As well as addressing the challenges of drugs supply and consumption, the ‘Drug Recovery Prison’ (DRP) pilot project will try to tackle addiction and create long-term benefits for prisoners. To support prisoners’ health through recovery from addiction, the project will be co-funded by NHS England, with the remainder of the financing being provided by the Ministry of Justice.
DRP will pursue a variety of strategies to reduce the amount of illegal drugs being smuggled into HMP Holme House and help prisoners to recover from drug addiction, and will run until 2020. If successful, its strategies and solutions will be emulated in prisons across the country.
How will the scheme tackle drug smuggling in prisons?
The primary strategy to tackle drug smuggling is an increase in security measures, including investment in new drug detection equipment, such as body scanners at prison entrances, extra sniffer dogs, and a dedicated drug search team.
To combat addiction, meanwhile, the prison will hire new health staff, including a specialist psychologist to deliver an enhanced substance misuse service. By providing a support network for prisoners, DRP aims to help manage addiction, which in turn is expected to help some prisoners to reform their lives, and not return to crime when they have served their sentences.
What has the government said about the pilot?
UK Justice Secretary David Gauke expanded on his hope that by supporting prisoners through drug addiction, the pilot programme can encourage them to make positive changes in all aspects of their lives. He added that prisons should be safe places where offenders have the opportunity to turn their lives around.
Gauke said: “Drugs fuel a cycle of violence and self-harm and prevent offenders from starting the process of rehabilitation that can ultimately lead to employment and a life free from crime. To break that cycle we need an innovative approach, and that’s what this pilot offers – not only stopping drugs getting into prison but helping offenders break the habit for good.”
