MoJ: Services have improved
Monday, 17 Mar 2008 12:20
Services for offenders who use drugs have improved and will continue to do so, justice minister David Hanson has said.
His comments come in response to a report from the UK Drug Policy Commission which claimed that the standard of healthcare and support for prisoners with drug problems "falls well below" the acceptable minimum standards in many prisons.
Mr Hanson said drug treatment has a "critical role to play in reducing harm to the community" and said improvements have been made in recent years.
These include "significant increases in resources for drug treatment leading to increased numbers being treated".
The justice minister drew attention to the transferral of funding for the commissioning of health services from prisons to primary care trusts and the Integrated Drug Treatment System in 2006, which he said was designed to improve clinical care.
"By April 2008 53 prisons will benefit from health funding for enhanced clinical drug services; 29 of which also receive Noms [National Offender Management Service] funding for enhanced psychosocial drug services," Mr Hanson said.
"It is likely that a further 36 prisons will implement this system in 2008/09."
He added: "Prison drug treatment funding has increased year-on-year since 1996/97 - up 1,008 per cent, with record numbers engaging in treatment.
"Success of the drug strategy is illustrated by the reduction of drug misuse in prisons - as measured by the random mandatory drug testing programme - which has declined by 64 per cent since 1996/97."