How drugs became ‘endemic’ in UK prisons

The drugs crisis in English and Welsh prisons has reached “endemic” levels, “fostering a dangerous culture of acceptance that must be broken”, said the House of Commons Justice Committee.

The prison service’s ability to maintain control, keep prisoners safe and offer them “effective rehabilitation”, is being “critically undermined” by the sheer scale of the “trade and use of illicit drugs”, the cross-party parliamentary committee said in a report. Without “urgent reform”, there could be “unacceptable human cost”.

How much of a problem is it? 

Almost four out of 10 inmates surveyed by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons said it is easy to access drugs. Some prisons have an “embedded” subculture of drug use, with a “menu of drugs” on offer, and inmates saying it’s “almost impossible to get away from them”. In 2023-24, 30% of women and 23% of men in the prison estate reported having a drug issue.

There were 136 drug-related deaths in English and Welsh prisons between December 2022 and 2024 – 16% of the 833 deaths during that period across the prison estate. The number of drug-related medical emergencies are so high, it can cause “regime restrictions” and more time spent in cells. Over half of prison staff say they have been exposed to psychoactive substances, reporting subsequent nausea, confusion and paranoia.

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How are drugs getting into prisons?

“Beyond the razor wire and towering walls” of Britain’s jails, a “hidden criminal underworld is thriving”, said The Sun, as “ruthless gangs” are “running multimillion-pound drug empires” from their cells.

Illicit substances, ordered by prisoners with “encrypted phones”, are smuggled in by visitors or corrupt staff, thrown over prison walls or, increasingly, delivered by drone. A man living near a prison in Worcestershire told Sky News that drones are dropping so many packages into the jail, there’s “an intense buzzing, like a pack of wasps”. In the 12 months to March 2025, there were 1,712 drone incidents in prisons, a 43% increase on the previous year, and a new peak.

How is the crisis affecting inmates?

Each morning, staff open the cell doors and I’m waiting “for the check to be completed successfully, as that means everybody’s alive”, the governor of HMP Shotts in Scotland told The Times. Shotts is at “the front line of the synthetic drug crisis in the UK”, said the paper, which means overdoses are a significant risk. It is also difficult to know how many prisoners are using these synthetic drugs, as current drug testing systems fail to detect them.

A recent inspection of HMP Leeds found it has highest rate of prisoner suicides of all UK jails, with “illicit drug use and availability” identified as a major factor. Leeds had the highest number of “drug equipment finds” in the prison estate, and 18% of inmates said they had developed a drug or alcohol problem while at the jail.

What can be done about it?

The Justice Committee has called on the Ministry of Justice to update drug testing methods, address the growing use of synthetic drugs in prisons, and speed up plans for waste-water surveillance systems that can help monitor drug usage trends.

The committee has also recommended that the government invests in electronic drone countermeasures, such as the “Sky Fence” system that can disrupt drone signals.

In July, the MOJ announced a new £900,000 investment to tackle the drones bringing drugs and weapons into prisons, in addition to the £40 million already allocated for improving security measures, including reinforcing windows and putting up anti-drone netting.