Number of Prisoners Overdosing on the Rise, Prisons Minister Reveals

A drug search dog and officer patrol the perimeter of Birmingham Prison on Aug. 20, 2018. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The number of drug overdoses recorded in British jails has risen, the prisons minister has revealed.

Almost 2,400 incidents of prisoners overdosing on illicit or prescription substances were recorded in 2022—up from 2,273 the year prior.

Damien Hinds said the government was increasing the number of “incentivised” substance-free units within jails to cope with the problem.

In a written response to a question from Labour MP Jessica Morden on Thursday, Mr. Hinds said the government is “committed” to addressing the rising numbers.

“All prisons have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs,” he said. “Our £100 million Security Investment Programme, completed in March 2022, introduced measures such as 75 additional X-ray body scanners and airport-style gate security.

“To prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs such as psychoactive substances through the mail, we have deployed 95 next-generation drug trace detection machines. We are aiming for full coverage of public sector prisons by March 2024.”

The Tory MP said plans were in place to install 40 more Incentivised Substance-Free Living units—where prisoners commit to remaining free of drugs with regular drug testing and incentives—taking the total number across the prison estate to 100.

Drone Drops

The concerning figures come less than two months after a report laid bare the drugs crisis that has led to five deaths at a Hertfordshire prison in the past year.

The Independent Monitoring Board said overdoses have become an “everyday event” at HMP The Mount, as a dangerous version of spice laced with the opioid fentanyl spreads among the prisoners.

The report also raised concerns about drone deliveries of substances amid a “historically high” death count. Staff were also accused of trafficking illicit items into the facility, with an anti-corruption unit recently being set up to deal with the problem.

The report, which covers the period from the beginning of March 2022 to the end of February this year, says, “Five prisoners apparently died from accidental drug overdoses.”

“The Mount has been plagued by a particularly noxious form of Spice, where the base of synthetic cannabis has been mixed with other substances, including Fentanyl,” it said.

It added, “The deaths from drug abuse, shocking though they are, are only the tip of the iceberg, with Code Blues, where a prisoner falls unconscious and struggles to breathe, being an everyday event.”

Many of the substances make their way into The Mount by drones, which can be directed to individual cell windows using mobile phones.

Prisoners can then lever out a glass and receive the packages, the report said.

Alternatively, some are delivered using “throwovers”—items that can be stuffed with drugs and easily thrown over the prison wall.

Despite the barriers, tennis balls, fruit and pipes have all been discovered on the grounds of the prison.

A general view through the bars of Birmingham Prison in Winson Green in Birmingham, England, on Aug. 20, 2018. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Inhumane

Last month, an investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman found a prisoner who died from an overdose at an Essex jail was shown a “shocking lack of compassion, empathy and concern” by nearly all staff involved in his care.

The watchdog’s report said 35-year-old David Morgan’s death was not the first at the jail to cause them “real concern.”

Mr. Morgan died following a drug overdose at HMP Chelmsford in 2018.

The Ombudsman said staff treatment of the seriously ill 35-year-old was “nothing short of inhumane.”

Despite Mr. Morgan telling prison staff that he had taken an overdose of his prescription medication, no action was taken.

This overdose was not investigated, according to the Ombudsman’s report, which describes it as an “extremely disturbing case.”

“Almost every member of staff involved in Mr. Morgan’s treatment on Aug. 22 showed a shocking lack of compassion, empathy and concern for his well-being and decency,” the report said.

When he became unwell, “staff made the assumption” without any evidence that he had drunk “hooch” or illegally made alcohol.

A nurse, informed of the alleged overdose, agreed he should be taken to a holding cell to “sober up.”

“Instead of being properly assessed by clinical staff, he was left in a holding cell for some two-and-a-half hours, becoming increasingly distressed and unwell,” the report said.

Mr. Morgan repeatedly fell on to the floor and a metal bench, and “despite the presence of several staff and the almost constant presence of a nurse” he “sustained a broken nose, a broken eye socket and fractures to both his legs during these falls.”

He was taken to hospital after becoming unconscious but died eight days later.

In a statement, acting ombudsman Kimberley Bingham, who drafted the report, called on the prison governor to apologise personally to Mr. Morgan’s next-of-kin “for the failure of her staff to exercise their duty of care to him while he was in their custody”.

“I am particularly disturbed by the uncaring and disrespectful culture that appeared to exist among both prison and health care staff,” she said.