Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 163
163
Acknowledged
Speed up plans to introduce wastewater-based drug surveillance across the entire prison estate.
Conclusion
The MoJ and HMPPS must speed up plans to introduce wastewater- based surveillance to identify new substances across the entire prison estate. If successful, this wastewater surveillance should be deployed in all prisons to monitor drug usage trends within two years of the pilot. (Recommendation, Paragraph 23)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government states it continuously reviews drug testing panels and prioritises drug detection as a key R&D priority, focusing on identifying future solutions for frontline staff. However, it does not commit to speeding up plans for wastewater-based surveillance or deploying it across all prisons within two years as recommended.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
We recognise that prison wastewater testing could offer insight into the overall health of a prison population, including potential to monitor drug consumption. We are not yet in a position to commit to wider or faster rollout, as wastewater monitoring at ‘near-source’ settings (such as prisons) remains an emerging area of expertise. Further work is required to understand how quantitative drug detection data can be translated into a realistic picture of drug taking in prisons, and to reduce the time-lag between sampling and results. MoJ is leading a structured research and development programme to understand the insights we could gain from prison wastewater analysis, and how it could build a clearer picture of drug consumption in prisons, complement other drug intelligence, and inform operational decisions. Our R&D efforts build on academic advancements, ensuring findings can support frontline decision-making, and working with suppliers to understand their capability and capacity to deliver large-scale wastewater programmes. Any emergent wastewater testing capability will be rigorously tested on the frontline to ensure it adds value to prison operations and provides value for money.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗