prisons - search results

[…] ● Policy and practice issues around tackling drug-related deaths ● Confidential inquiries ● The provision of Naloxone for users ● Blood Borne Viruses ● The role of Prisons in reducing BBV and reducing overdose deaths ● Polydrug use ● Cocaine related deaths ● Overdose prevention ● Debate: what impact will an increase emphasis on […]

PRISONS AND BEYOND Your fortnightly magazine | jobs | news | views | research Tackling complexities of addiction inside and out HIGH ON LIFE RAPt graduates share their recovery COUNTING THE COSTS What happens to prisoners’ families? A MILE IN YOUR SHOES CARAT and DIP workers trade places 5 November 2007 www.drinkanddrugs.net SPECIAL […]

[…] taken over our prison system to the point where the system itself is under severe threat. There are numerous estimates of the number of inmates in Scottish prisons with a drug problem and the number who are actually using illegal drugs within prison. The eighth Scottish Prison Service survey found that out of the […]

[…] | news | views | research HITTING THE BOTTLE Health, criminal justice and industry sectors debate alcohol Service users take feedback one step further FREE TO RECOVER Prisons need a culture change to escape low expectations SHARING THE STAGE Putting clients on the stage and screen in Liverpool C H O I C E […]

[…] Drug, alcohol and parenting charities debated issues at a recent seminar and learnt from innovative schemes (page 12). Gar y Rees shows determination to improve communication between prisons and makes progress in healthcare and harm reduction through the innovative ‘Sparcle!’ network, on page 10. Finally, amid reports of how crystal meth is devastating America, […]

[…] justice system? DDN asks shadow justice minister David Burrowes. 12 BROKEN BRITAIN : Does the criminal justice system need fixing? DDN talks to former chief inspector of prisons, Lord David Ramsbotham. 13 DRIVING DRINK HABITS : Crawley police and Addaction have teamed up to reduce drink-related harm. DDN reports from the West Sussex DAAT […]

[…] justice system? DDN asks shadow justice minister David Burrowes. 12 BROKEN BRITAIN : Does the criminal justice system need fixing? DDN talks to former chief inspector of prisons, Lord David Ramsbotham. 13 DRIVING DRINK HABITS : Crawley police and Addaction have teamed up to reduce drink-related harm. DDN reports from the West Sussex DAAT […]

[…] t ser vice that needs to be utilised’. Always trying to be innovative with the services they offer, Hetty’s and WAM run joint prison visits to six prisons to talk to prisoners about how their families will be feeling. They explain that they need to accept it can take a long time to re-establish […]

[…] t ser vice that needs to be utilised’. Always trying to be innovative with the services they offer, Hetty’s and WAM run joint prison visits to six prisons to talk to prisoners about how their families will be feeling. They explain that they need to accept it can take a long time to re-establish […]

[…] June. Professor Uchtenhagen will be talking about the impact and cost-effectiveness of harm reduction measures, obstacles to evidenced-based policies, international standards for caring for drug-dependent people in prisons and ethical guidelines and their practical implications. People have long been calling for effective harm reduction services in prison equivalent to those in the community – […]

[…] BY 2025 JULY 2018 CONTENTS 4 Introduction 6 The Hepatitis C Coalition 7 Background 8 Sharing knowledge and information 10 Awareness 12 Testing, Treatment and Engagement 14 Prisons and the Justice System 16 Better data and evidence-based informatics 18 Best Practice: Greater Manchester Case study 20 References 3 2 INTRODUCTION Two years ago, the […]

[…] or using new psychoactive substances (NPS) in prison will face a new range of punitive measures, the government has announced. The Ministry of Justice has written to prison governors setting out the available punishments in a move designed to ‘reinforce the prison estate’s zero tolerance approach to contraband’.  The measures facing prisoners suspected of smuggling or using NPS include having an extra 4b days added to their sentence, removal of privileges such as TV and additional visits, forfeit of earnings, being confined to their cell for up to b1 days and ‘closed visits’ that allow no contact with partners or children. Inmates could also be placed in a higher security prison or – if the NPS is a controlled drug – face prosecution and a further sentence.  Concern has been growing among prison authorities for some time over the use of NPS – in particular synthetic cannabinoids like ‘Black Mamba’ – as they are more difficult to detect and their effects harder to predict than traditional drugs (see news focus, page 6). The substances have also been blamed for increasing rates of drug-related violence and ill health, with prison seizures of the cannabinoid ‘Spice’ rising from a total of 15 in b010 to 430 in the first seven months of last year.  The ministry has also announced that it intends to expand its prison drug testing to include a wider range of controlled substances as well as synthetic and prescription drugs when the technology becomes available. It will also train more specialist dog teams to detect NPS in the prison estate. While Transform said the crackdowns ‘completely missed the point’, justice secretary Chris Grayling stated that the government was ‘determined to make sure governors have every power at their disposal to detect supply, punish those found using or dealing, and enforce a zero tolerance approach’ towards NPS.  ‘Go onto any prison wing and staff will tell you that whilst we’ve made good headway on drug misuse in  prisons, there’s a new phenomenon they are increasingly seeing in the form of so-called "legal highs",’ he said. ‘What we’re also hearing is that these substances seem to be part of the problem around increasing violence in our prison estate. Prisoners should be very clear – if they think they can get away with using these substances, they need to think again. And the same applies to those who are the suppliers, whether they’re inside or outside the prison gates.’ Chris Grayling: ‘Determineb to make sure governors... enforce a zero tolerance approach...’ STRONG MEASURES FOR STRONG BEERS THE PORTMAN bROUP is instructing off- licences, supermarkets, convenience stores and other retailers not to place orders for 500ml cans of 9 per cent Carlsberg Special Brew, Skol Super and Kestrel Super after its Independent Complaints Panel (ICP) found that the packaging encouraged ‘immoderate consumption’. Each 500ml can contains 4.5 units of alcohol, more than the recommended daily […]

[…] This will rely on a degree of local co-ordination. The intention is not to get the same questions asked of the same clients. We’re working closely with prisons in the hope of managing people’s information as they move through prison and community services – and yes, we’ll be able to monitor them over years. […]

[…] Howard gives us an over view. 10 Unlocking prison reform When will we take notice of evidence andreform prison drug treatment? Comment from Kathy Gyngell of the Prisons and Addictions Forum. 11 Chapter one... Fiona Friend looks at how creative writing can be used as therapy to recover from addiction 12 Hidden harm: another […]

[…] from heading back into the system. With one in four prisoners who had stable accommodation losing it when they began their sentence, it was vital to provide prisons with stronger links with local communities. NOMS was determined to shake the system by introducing commiss- ioning, in response to ‘a challenge so big that ministers […]

[…] are always there for them, ready to listen and help them investigate different recovery options – whether the 12-step programme or the CBT-based groupwork programme PASRO ( Prisons AddressingSubstance Related Offending). Both routes, he tells them, can lead to long-term lifestyle change and help them guard against relapse. HMP Lancaster’s team does not work […]

Prisons have a unique opportunity to introduce a life-saving naloxone strategy, so is the message getting through? DDN reports. Read the full article in DDN Magazine Naloxone saves lives, and for people leaving prison it can be a vital component in their survival kit. We know that the first few weeks following release […]

[…] through the intensive, 12-step, abstinence-based programme. Beginning with a project at HMP Downview, it was the first time substance abuse treatment programmes had been brought into UK prisons. It’s a tough regime, demanding complete abstinence from drugs and alcohol from those who choose to par ticipate – but for those who are serious about […]

[…] and rehabilitated. However much the repor ts from NOMS, CARATs and other acronyms hide behind and manipulate statistics,they cannot disguise the facts. Drug use is rampant in prisons. Well over half of all prisoners have a drug problem and have had treatment more than once. But that’s not the point. The point is we […]

[…] heaves an enormous sigh, and breaks into a grinthat lights up the room. Until recently, Navlet’s life was dictated by the need for crack cocaine. When the consequences led her to Holloway Prison, she was furious at the interruption, enraged by any intervention, and hostile to those who tried to help her. Her transformation to the calm serene woman sitting in the room today is nothing short of miraculous to the prison staff who knew her in the early days. To the RAPt counsellors at Send Prison’s addictions treatment unit, it is confirmation that what they do works, and that the RAPt programme can turn lives around beyond recognition. Since RAPt – Rehabilitation for Addicted Prisoners Trust – began work in 1992, more than 3,000 prisoners have been through the intensive, 12-step, abstinence-based programme. Beginning with a project at HMP Downview, it was the first timesubstance abuse treatment programmes had been brought into UK  prisons. It’s a tough regime, demanding complete abstinence from drugs and alcohol from those who choose to par ticipate – but for those who are serious about overcoming their substance problem, the outlook is hopeful: follow-upresearch on graduates shows a significantly higher chance of staying ‘clean’ – and a significantly lower rate of reconviction. With half of all crimes drug related, according to the Home Office, and most of those entering prison having a histor y of drug use, it’s not difficult to see prison as a logical place to tackle the cycle of drug addiction, crime and imprisonment. With each problematic drug user in the community costing the countr y an estimated£11,000 – a total of up to £18.8 billion a year – it has been a logical decision for the government to increase investment to prison-based drug treatment ser vices to around £61 million a year.  Which leaves the tough choice down to the prisoner: ser […]

[…] each patient, while the average size of a prison inreach mental health team is only a third of the necessary level, it says. Delegates at the NOMS Prisons and beyond conference in October heard how a growing prison population was proving a challenge to helping those prisoners with drug and alcohol misuse problems and […]

[…] drug and crime-free life. It’s one of seven prison-based addiction programmes that Forward Trust operates. Amazingly, the only ones that receive dedicated funding are in three Welsh prisons – funded by the Welsh office of HM Prisons and Probation. Most prison-based addiction programmes were closed down as funding was withdrawn between 2012 and 2015 […]

[…] Both Public Health England (PHE) and the government have been clear in their recommendation that all local areas need to have appropriate naloxone provision in place. However, prisons have so far failed to implement provision at the point of release across much of the estate, and this is putting lives at risk.   Blenheim […]

[…] reduction in crime related to addicts according to home office figures. This was all part of the government’s aim to ‘Tackling drugs, changing lives’ gets regional focus Prisons give a chance to intervene in drug and alcohol addiction, Mike Trace, chief executive of RAPt, told delegates at ‘Partners in Prevention’, a conference held by […]

[…] reduction in crime related to addicts according to home office figures. This was all part of the government’s aim to ‘Tackling drugs, changing lives’ gets regional focus Prisons give a chance to intervene in drug and alcohol addiction, Mike Trace, chief executive of RAPt, told delegates at ‘Partners in Prevention’, a conference held by […]

Over the last 20 years the UK prison population has almost doubled. With a squeeze in the public purse, one of the casualties has been projects that support people out of prison and back into their communities. The current adult reoffending rate stands at 47 per cent, so what is being done to understand the […]

Tony Margetts looks at whether prison reform is heading in the right direction. For all the wrong reasons prisons are in the news. Hardly a week goes by without a major incident, adding further pressure on governors, staff, prisoners and the still relatively new lord chancellor and secretary of state for justice, Liz Truss. While there […]

[…] 5). One will be the huge HMP Wandsworth in south west London, and the government says that more than 5,000 prisoners will be housed in these ‘reform prisons’ by the end of the year. The degree of autonomy being talked about is substantial, so is this genuinely radical? ‘I think it is,’ says international […]

[…] vulnerable to relapse. In a community setting, naltrexone would be offered immediately following the withdrawal period, and so it is logical to offer a similar service in prisons. Naltrexone provides prisoners with a ‘safety net’, which helps them to resist press- ures and temptations as well as providing an opportunity to demonstrate to family […]

[…] know that the causes of homelessness are complex, and affect different groups in different ways. At The Forward Trust, we do a lot of our work in prisons. Through this, we see how short periods of imprisonment contribute significant numbers to the overall totals of people becoming and remaining homeless. For example, in London, […]

With NPS problems making regular headlines and a general consensus that the system isn’t working, the UK’s prisons are in bad shape. David Gilliver reports on a major project that could help create something new Earlier this year the government announced ‘the biggest shake up of prisons since the Victorian times’, with plans for six major […]

[…] to access care, says Mental health in prison, with the situation likely to get worse without significant reform. The government needs to end the practice of seeing prisons as a ‘safety net’ for when mental health provision in the community is inadequate or non-existent, the document states, and calls on the Prison and Probation […]

[…] your employer to thrive? 12 February 2007 News Round-upHidden Harm inquiry highlights much more to do •Quality care ‘should be norm’ for dual diagnosis •Drug problems push prisons further towards crisis •Alcohol Concern joins DDN par tnership • OU and FDAP launch training for line managers • Young people’s DIP pilot shows no link […]

[…] break the cycle of trauma, addiction, and incarceration, with the goal of promoting successful re-entry into society. This article explores the charity’s approach to building relationships with prisons, its therapy focus and techniques, understanding and treating addiction, and the challenges veterans face upon release. ‘Most veterans do well after leaving the services, but a […]

[…] blanket ban, and accusations of rushed legislation have been consistently raised. One of the major issues with NPS has been a sharp rise of misuse in UK prisons. In December 2015 HM chief inspector of prisons, Nick Hardwick, released a hard-hitting, upfront report on the misuse of substances in prisons. In the report he […]

No hiding place Efforts to stop drugs from being smuggled into prisons are failing – so why aren’t we tackling prisoners’ drug use through universal testing, argues Neil McKeganey Successive UK governments have acknow­ledged that it is all but impossible to stop drugs getting into prisons. For many people, that acknowledge­ment will seem utterly […]

[…] services.  However the government also intends to ‘put the worst offenders away for longer’ – as part of an overall strategy to make the best use of prisons and give lower-risk offenders the ‘greatest chance’ to turn their lives around. The adult female prison population, meanwhile, stood at 3,611 in November 2023 and is […]

[…] comprehend or respond constructively to enforcement action,’ it says. Online at: www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/ housing/2074.asp Enforcement a ‘high risk strategy’ warns JRF The quality of mental health care in prisons is ‘frequently poor’ and is failing those with a ‘dual diagnosis’ of both mental health and substance misuse problems, according to a new report from the […]

[…] amount spent on other public services. ‘So liberties are being reduced while the chances of getting appropriate help are diminished.’ Around 80,000 people were incarcerated in UK prisons, he pointed out – more than ever, and more than in other European countries. Many of these prisoners had a history of drug use. ‘I am […]

[…] and Alcohol Professionals’ chief executive, Simon Shepherd, is leaving FDAP after six years, to become director of The Butler Trust, a charity that promotes reform in UK prisons. While at FDAP’s helm, Mr Shepherd has developed the charity’s membership and influence, and has been a pioneering force in workforce development. His ‘DANOS may be […]

[…] ‘We saw many prisoners under the influence of drugs and the smell of cannabis and other burning substances pervaded many parts of the prison,’ chief inspector of prisons Peter Clarke wrote to justice secretary David Gauke. ‘Our own observations confirmed to us that the use and trafficking of illegal substances was blatant. I have […]

The launch of the ‘Decency, safety, security’ strategy for prisons was greeted with mixed reactions by the Drugs, Alcohol, and Justice Cross-Party Parliamentary Group. DDN reports. Read the full article in June 2018 issue of DDN here The new prisons strategy promised a ‘back to basics’ crackdown on drugs and mobile phones, while also […]

[…] suggested they would like to meet their community worker prior to release, and our teams where possible were able to support community prison link workers accessing the prisons to meet people as part of their release planning process.  Supporting and coordinating specialist community staff to access the prison to provide a collaborative seamless approach […]

The rise in NPS use in prisons has had a serious impact on safety, with increasing rates of violence and self-harm, says the annual report of the Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB). As well as their impact on health and behaviour, drugs have produced an ‘alternative power structure, based on debt, bullying and intimidation of […]

Efforts to stop drugs from being smuggled into prisons are failing – so why aren’t we tackling prisoners’ drug use through universal testing, argues Neil McKeganey Successive UK governments have acknow­ledged that it is all but impossible to stop drugs getting into prisons. For many people, that acknowledge­ment will seem utterly inexplicable. Prisons represent […]

[…] prison risk being ‘overwhelmed’ by the demands of treating people seriously affected by use of new psychoactive substances (NPS), according to a report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons. Based on inspections carried out in August and September last year, the report says that safety at the large category C HMP Ranby is a ‘major […]

Promotional feature A new profile of drug use in prisons Mark Napier talks to DDN about the emergence of the complex problem of novel psychoactive substances, and some responses that commissioners and providers can adopt to tackle this issue Health needs assessments The Centre for Public Innovation (CPI) has been involved in research and supporting the […]

Just 45 per cent of people released from prison in 2023-24 had settled accommodation on their release, according to the Prison Reform Trust. Thirteen per cent were either homeless or sleeping rough, says the trust’s Bromley briefings prison factfile: February 2025, ‘undermining efforts to support people away from crime after prison’. Research by the Nacro […]

[…] voice on new psychoactive substances. He talks to David Gilliver. 16 MAKE IT HAPPEN! What’s happening at the national service user involvement conference this year – and why  should you be there? DDN explains. REbULARS 4 NEWS ROUND-UP :  Government launches ‘legal high’ review • ‘Golden triangle’ opium production  up 22 per cent • Injecting young people a ‘blind spot’ • Fewer young people in treatment • Upgrade  ketamine to class B, urges bCMD • News in brief. 10 MEDIA SAVVY:  Who’s been saying what..?  11 ENTERPRISE CORNER:  We must challenge employers who don’t acknowledge the value of a second  chance, says bmar Lodhia. 11 LETTERS :  Claims rejected; Route to recovery. 1b GOOD PRACTICE EXCHANGE :  Jonathan Munro tells DDN about the pioneering partnership work  happening among  prisons in the North East. THROUbHOUT THE MAbAZINE: COURSES, CONFERENCES, TENDERS Editor: Claire Brown t: b1233 638 528 e: claire@cjwellings.com Assistant Editor: Kayleigh Hutchins t: b1233 633 315 e: kayleigh@cjwellings.com Reporter: David Gilliver e: david@cjwellings.com Advertising Manager: Ian […]

[…] voice on new psychoactive substances. He talks to David Gilliver. 16 MAKE IT HAPPEN! What’s happening at the national service user involvement conference this year – and why  should you be there? DDN explains. REbULARS 4 NEWS ROUND-UP :  Government launches ‘legal high’ review • ‘Golden triangle’ opium production  up 22 per cent • Injecting young people a ‘blind spot’ • Fewer young people in treatment • Upgrade  ketamine to class B, urges bCMD • News in brief. 10 MEDIA SAVVY:  Who’s been saying what..?  11 ENTERPRISE CORNER:  We must challenge employers who don’t acknowledge the value of a second  chance, says bmar Lodhia. 11 LETTERS :  Claims rejected; Route to recovery. 1b GOOD PRACTICE EXCHANGE :  Jonathan Munro tells DDN about the pioneering partnership work  happening among  prisons in the North East. THROUbHOUT THE MAbAZINE: COURSES, CONFERENCES, TENDERS Editor: Claire Brown t: b1233 638 528 e: claire@cjwellings.com Assistant Editor: Kayleigh Hutchins t: b1233 633 315 e: kayleigh@cjwellings.com Reporter: David Gilliver e: david@cjwellings.com Advertising Manager: Ian […]

[…] treat them, we can have a big effect.’ The Morgan Report (2014) had looked at effective approaches to crime prevention. We needed to apply that logic to prisons, he said, and look at motivating people not to reoffend. Mike Trace, CEO of Forward Trust A look back at recent history revealed a scattergun approach. […]

[…] hand-held mobile phone blockersand body orifice security scanners (BOSS chairs) – currently the preserve of high security (Category A) establishments – is to be introduced to all prisons from next year in an attempt to stem the flow of illegal drugs into jails. The measures are among those contained in the review Disrupting the […]

[…] Mr Narey. There had been r eal progress in increasing drug assessments, from no proper assessments in 1998, to 55,000 separate assessments this year. Drug use in prisons had fallen dramatically, to 4 per cent of prisoners abusing opiates and 33,000 prisoners agreeing to be tested voluntarily. There would always be drugs brought into […]

[…] superintendent, former service users and NTA chief executive Paul Hayes, among many others. www.guardian.co.uk/drug-treatment Commissioning for recovery – drug treatment, reintegration and recovery in the community and prisons: a guide for drug partnerships will be available from www.nta.org Drug users face anthrax risk Drug users in Scotland are running the risk of taking heroin […]

[…] cannot be generalised to the wider prison population, they nevertheless offer a fair indication of the everyday reality of people who experience heroin addiction during incarceration. British prisons are in a state of perpetual crisis, with endemic drug use, bullying and violence being fundamental parts of daily reality. The prison system currently appears to […]

[…] the ‘chaotic’ early release scheme, which has seen more than 10,000 prisoners released up to 70 days early to free up prison space. A report from the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) published last month found that more than 30 per cent of people who died within two weeks of release were released homeless. […]

Working in prisons can be challenging, but a prison based therapeutic community can bring about genuine change, say Claire Illingworth, Kate Cookson, Monica Sumner and Rachael Ashcroft. Delphi Medical is a leading independent provider of drug and alcohol treatment in the UK, ensuring excellent clinical and psychosocial provision as part of a recovery pathway. […]

[…] Ser vice (NOMS) is inviting views on how treatment and throughcare of drug using prisoners can be improved. A debate will be held at the conference ‘ Prisons and Beyond’ in February, but NOMS is keen for ideas and feedback to shape the focus of conference sessions. Two interactive debates, under the banner ‘If […]

[…] said Mr Narey. There had been real progress in increasing drug assessments, from no proper assessments in 1998, to 55,000 separate assessments this year. Drug use in prisons had fallen dramatically, to 4 per cent of prisoners abusing opiates and 33,000 prisoners agreeing to be tested voluntarily. There would always be drugs brought into […]

[…] their families, knows that Jamal’s story is not unique, but the life story of multitudes. The human consequences of such lives are all around us, in our prisons, in our mental health institutions, among children who fail to thrive, and in our cemeteries. Not all get to tell their story. Not all survive. We […]