Thirty-seven per cent of deaths among prison leavers supervised in the community in Wales last year were the result of drug poisoning, according to a report from Cardiff University.
The proportion is ‘substantially higher’ than for England and Wales as a whole, the researchers point out, where the figure stands at 21 per cent. There was also an almost 25 per cent increase in prison leavers supervised by the Welsh probation services sleeping rough on the day of their release, to almost 700 people.
Overall, there were nearly 420 drug poisoning deaths registered in Wales in 2024, 288 of which were drug misuse deaths – the highest number ever recorded.
‘No one should lose their life to drug use whether inside or outside of prison,’ said operations director for Kaleidoscope, Mike Vigar. ‘We encourage the new Welsh Government to rapidly develop a refreshed, evidence-led substance use strategy, with the ambition to significantly reduce drug-related deaths across Wales. Everyone should be able to access effective support, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or experience of the prison and criminal justice system.’
Wales needed a ‘renewed, coordinated approach’, he continued, informed by lived experience and that ‘supports prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery, while addressing the inequalities that continue to place some people at greater risk of harm’.
Prisons, punishment and sentencing in Wales, a 2025 fact-file, is available here