A cross-party committee of MPs has warned that drug use in prisons has reached 'endemic' levels, with almost four in ten inmates admitting it is easy to obtain drugs. The Justice Committee's report, published on Friday, highlights that 136 drug-related deaths occurred in prisons in England and Wales between December 2022 and 2024, and calls the human cost 'unacceptable'.
The committee found that 11% of male and 19% of female prisoners developed a drug or alcohol problem since entering prison. Inmates in debt are reportedly being forced to test new drugs, sometimes for the entertainment of others. MPs say staff have become desensitised to daily suffering, indicating a 'failed system'.
Ministry of Justice figures show drone sightings in prisons have soared by 1,140% over five years, from 138 in the year to March 2021 to 1,712 in the year to March 2025 – almost five per day. MPs fear drones pose an 'extremely serious threat', potentially delivering weapons, explosives, and drugs. However, traditional methods like visits and throwovers remain more common.
The committee calls for urgent action, including ramping up drug testing, introducing waste-water surveillance, and investing in electronic drone countermeasures known as 'Sky Fence' systems. It also urges tougher staff vetting procedures. Chair Andy Slaughter said the crisis fosters a 'dangerous culture of acceptance that must be broken'.
Strong synthetic opioids like Nitazenes, hundreds of times more potent than morphine, have been linked to 750 UK fatalities between June 2023 and August 2025, including four at HMP Parc in Wales. MPs warn that keeping prisoners locked up for 22 hours a day drives drug use, and call for expanded education and work programmes to curb demand.
The government announced £900,000 in July to tackle drone-delivered drugs, on top of £40m already spent on security. Former drugs tsar Mike Trace urged ministers to accept the committee's recommendations.
