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Prisoners (Drugs)

Volume 330: debated on Wednesday 28 April 1999

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To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates in prisons in England and Wales have a record of illegal drug taking. [82289]

Between 1 January 1998 and 31 December 1998, 88,304 mandatory drug tests were conducted on prisoners, of which 20,152 tested positive for drugs. The figures include some prisoners who will have been tested more than once. Implementation of the Prison Service drug strategy over the next three years will include provision of information about new prisoners' histories of drug misuse prior to arrival in prison.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons in England and Wales have drug treatment facilities; and how many prisoners were undertaking such treatment on 1 April. [82290]

Systematic data about existing programmes and the number of participating prisoners is not yet collected centrally. The table gives the best available information about the current situation and the proposed outcome of implementation of the Prison Service's drug strategy.

Prison drug treatment and programmes
Service provisionCurrent situationAfter drug strategy implementation
CARATs143all establishments
Detoxification21035
Rehabilitation programmes2460
Therapeutic communities48
Voluntary testing46all establishments
1Low threshold Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare service which will meet the needs of the great majority of prisoners
2Enhanced detoxification facilities in local prisons and remand centres