Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 161
161
Deferred
Restore consistent, high-volume Mandatory Drug Testing across the entire prison estate.
Conclusion
Mandatory Drug Testing rates do not reliably measure drug prevalence. The MoJ’s own admission that resource constraints limit its capacity for MDT testing and therefore its ability to produce robust, publishable data demonstrates the failure of the current approach. The suspension of regular testing makes it extremely difficult to accurately assess the current scale of drug use or measure any improvement. A return to consistent, high- volume testing across the prison estate is essential to restore accountability and gather the data needed to understand the true extent of drug use. (Conclusion, Paragraph 21)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government acknowledges prison wastewater testing could offer insight but is not yet in a position to commit to its wider rollout due to it being an emerging area of expertise. It is leading a structured research and development programme to understand insights from prison wastewater analysis.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government · verbatim extract
Deferred
Partially accept We recognise the value of drug testing in achieving a range of outcomes, including supporting our understanding of the level and types of drug use in prisons, identifying individuals who may benefit from treatment referrals, managing risk, motivating recovery and informing disciplinary action where necessary. We have a wide range of testing modalities in prison which aim to achieve this, including reception testing which identifies drug needs at entry; suspicion-based testing which targets those suspected of illicit use for referral and risk management; risk assessment testing which supports decisions for prisoners considered for responsible roles or temporary release; and the frequent testing programme which monitors individuals with known drug issues. We also employ ‘compact-based’ drug testing on Incentivised Substance Free Living units and Drug Recovery Wings, with those who sign up to live on these committing to regular tests, to incentivise them to remain drug free and sustain motivation in recovery. It is therefore important that we maximise the value of our drug testing regime, within available resources, rather than relying solely on one form of mandatory testing. Currently, prisons strive to meet targets for random mandatory drug testing (rMDT), but capacity pressures have made this challenging in recent years. Any changes made will need to strike the right balance, ensuring Governors have discretion to tackle the specific demands of their prisons, and that our range of testing modalities address the diverse challenges drugs pose across the prison estate. We commit to reviewing our drug testing regime, as a whole, to ensure it supports the best outcomes in understanding levels and types of drug use and supporting individuals through treatment and recovery pathways.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗