Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 179
179
Deferred
Require balancing prisoner punishments with mandatory drug treatment referrals and resourcing consistent adjudications
Recommendation
We recommend that punishments, such as the loss of privileges, are balanced with a mandatory referral to drug treatment services. This ensures that individuals are held accountable while also directed towards the support they need to break the cycle of addiction. We also recommend that the Earned Progression model is accompanied by a clear, measurable plan to ensure every prison has the necessary resources and staff to apply drug-related adjudications fairly and consistently, thereby making the threat of added time to their sentence a genuine deterrent. (Recommendation, Paragraph 73) Ingress routes and countermeasures to reduce the supply
Government Response Summary
The government's response outlines measures to prevent and detect illicit mobile phones and contraband, including new mobile phone capabilities and updated operational guidance, rather than addressing the balance of punishment with drug treatment referrals or resources for drug-related adjudications.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The threat posed by illicit mobile phones and other contraband within prisons is escalating, and so we have a wide-ranging programme in place to prevent these from entering prisons in order to detect and disrupt their use by prisoners when they are smuggled in, and to investigate cases where a prisoner may have committed an offence. Prisons deploy a range of measures as part of their local security strategies to detect items of contraband, coming into and within prisons. These include enhanced gate security (which includes metal detection archways, handheld detectors, and X-Ray baggage scanners), X-Ray body scanners and frequent searching. HMPPS also use powers under the Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Act 2012 to block the use of mobile phones. To strengthen our approach, HMPPS has recently concluded a tender for new mobile phone capabilities and is developing operational guidance and reviewing training packages to support and upskill staff and ensure that equipment is used effectively. We have dedicated search teams and regional resources protected to ensure skilled staff can maximise the impact of countermeasures within our prisons. HMPPS has long established intelligence analysis capabilities at local, regional, and national levels who are trained and capable of utilising the intelligence from the capabilities.