Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Accepted
Continuity of drug treatment for prison leavers remains consistently low after release.
Recommendation
The continuity of prison leavers’ drug treatment in the community has remained low for many years. In 2021–22, 37% of prison leavers in England with a substance misuse treatment referral were engaged in community-based treatment three weeks after release (38.1% in 2020–21).23 We questioned whether HMPPS was providing enough support to prisoners with substance misuse needs prior to their release. MoJ told us it has 50 incentivised substance-free living units established in prisons, which will increase to 100 units by March 2025. MoJ also secured £120 million over the next three years under the government’s 10-year drug plan, which it told us will be used to improve data and better co-ordinate pre- and post-release support for substance misuse.24 We asked how much of HMPPS’ work is focused on harm reductions, such as drug replacements, as opposed to recovery and abstinence. HMPPS told us that this balance is determined by clinicians from NHSE and the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC). HMPPS told us that the treatment options offered to an individual can depend on the length of their prison sentence.25
Government Response Summary
The government accepted the recommendation and committed to developing a proposal by Summer 2024, in collaboration with DHSC, to identify and address critical gaps in substance misuse treatment metrics. This proposal, including plans to fill gaps and routine publication of metrics, will be agreed by the Cross-Government Reducing Reoffending Board.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2024 2.2 The government is committed to engaging offenders in substance misuse treatment at all stages of the criminal justice system to reduce reoffending. The National Combatting Drugs Outcomes Framework sets out the key metrics that the government is using to measure success, but acknowledges there is more that can be done to clearly define success and how this links to wider resettlement outcomes. 2.3 The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and the Department for Health and Social Care will develop a proposal, including highlighting any critical gaps in current metrics and subsequent plans to fill them, to be reported through the established cross-government drugs governance and agreed by the Cross-Government Reducing Reoffending Board. The government will publish these metrics routinely, through existing publications such as the Drugs Strategy Annual Report.