Today, the Government’s response to the Justice Committee inquiry on drugs in prisons has been published. Dr Will Haydock, Chief Executive of Collective Voice, the national alliance of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery charities, released the following statement:
The Government has missed the point on substance use treatment in prisons
The Justice Committee’s report demonstrated clearly the seriousness and urgency of the issue of drugs in prisons. It is encouraging that the Government has acknowledged the importance of both the immediate threats and long-term challenges that drugs pose to safety in prisons and rehabilitation.
However, in only partially accepting many of the Committee’s recommendations we are concerned that the Government is failing to acknowledge the fundamental changes required to improve outcomes.
Evidence from Collective Voice and other key witnesses – including the Government’s own independent advisor on drugs, Dame Carol Black – emphasised that the current approach to funding and commissioning support for people in prison who use alcohol or other drugs isn’t working.
The Committee was clear: there must be an ‘overhaul’ of commissioning of these services, and this means commissioning substance use treatment services separately from general healthcare contracts, and doing so in partnership with both prison governors and local authorities.
The Government’s response states that it is in the process of developing a new commissioning structure for healthcare services in prisons, as part of the merger of DHSC and NHSE. However, this misses the fundamental point being made by the Committee and Dame Carol Black: substance use treatment services should not be commissioned as part of wider healthcare services.
The response from the Government looks worryingly like they will continue the same flawed approach, just with a different organisation named as responsible. A change in the name above the door from regional teams at ‘NHS England’ to regional teams mandated by ‘NHS Integrated Care Boards’ does not amount to an ‘overhaul’ or a ‘new model’ as clearly recommended by the Committee.
A new service specification is a necessary, but not sufficient, response from the Government
The Government’s response also draws attention to the work NHSE is doing to update the service specification for substance use treatment in prisons. This project is welcome, and Collective Voice is grateful and proud to be involved in this work.
However, the report was clear that it is not so much the specification that is the issue, as the implementation and delivery of it. Dame Carol’s evidence emphasised that it is the current commissioning structures and approach that mean the ambition of the specification ‘is not being delivered on the ground’.
So while improving and updating the specification is a positive step, it must go alongside a genuine change in the commissioning approach.
Harm from drug use is an urgent issue that the Government must respond to now
Moreover, the Government’s response explains that the updated specification will be published by the end of the summer. It will then take time for this to have any impact. But we cannot wait this long to see change for people in prison and our wider communities. We are seeing the highest rates of drug-related deaths ever recorded[1], and the emergence of synthetic opioids in the UK has prompted the National Crime Agency to warn that ‘there has never been a more dangerous time to take drugs’.[2]
If we get our response right, we will save lives and reduce crime, easing pressure on a criminal justice system the government has acknowledged is in crisis, as well as wider public services.
Notes:
[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/deathsrelatedtodrugpoisoninginenglandandwales2024registrations
[2] https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/there-has-never-been-a-more-dangerous-time-to-take-drugs-says-national-crime-agency-as-annual-threat-assessment-is-published
Collective Voice raises concerns regarding the Government’s response to the Justice Committee’s report on drugs in prisons
Today, the Government’s response to the Justice Committee inquiry on drugs in prisons has been published. Dr Will Haydock, Chief Executive of Collective Voice, the national alliance of drug and alcohol treatment and recovery charities, released the following statement:
The Government has missed the point on substance use treatment in prisons
The Justice Committee’s report demonstrated clearly the seriousness and urgency of the issue of drugs in prisons. It is encouraging that the Government has acknowledged the importance of both the immediate threats and long-term challenges that drugs pose to safety in prisons and rehabilitation.
However, in only partially accepting many of the Committee’s recommendations we are concerned that the Government is failing to acknowledge the fundamental changes required to improve outcomes.
Evidence from Collective Voice and other key witnesses – including the Government’s own independent advisor on drugs, Dame Carol Black – emphasised that the current approach to funding and commissioning support for people in prison who use alcohol or other drugs isn’t working.
The Committee was clear: there must be an ‘overhaul’ of commissioning of these services, and this means commissioning substance use treatment services separately from general healthcare contracts, and doing so in partnership with both prison governors and local authorities.
The Government’s response states that it is in the process of developing a new commissioning structure for healthcare services in prisons, as part of the merger of DHSC and NHSE. However, this misses the fundamental point being made by the Committee and Dame Carol Black: substance use treatment services should not be commissioned as part of wider healthcare services.
The response from the Government looks worryingly like they will continue the same flawed approach, just with a different organisation named as responsible. A change in the name above the door from regional teams at ‘NHS England’ to regional teams mandated by ‘NHS Integrated Care Boards’ does not amount to an ‘overhaul’ or a ‘new model’ as clearly recommended by the Committee.
A new service specification is a necessary, but not sufficient, response from the Government
The Government’s response also draws attention to the work NHSE is doing to update the service specification for substance use treatment in prisons. This project is welcome, and Collective Voice is grateful and proud to be involved in this work.
However, the report was clear that it is not so much the specification that is the issue, as the implementation and delivery of it. Dame Carol’s evidence emphasised that it is the current commissioning structures and approach that mean the ambition of the specification ‘is not being delivered on the ground’.
So while improving and updating the specification is a positive step, it must go alongside a genuine change in the commissioning approach.
Harm from drug use is an urgent issue that the Government must respond to now
Moreover, the Government’s response explains that the updated specification will be published by the end of the summer. It will then take time for this to have any impact. But we cannot wait this long to see change for people in prison and our wider communities. We are seeing the highest rates of drug-related deaths ever recorded[1], and the emergence of synthetic opioids in the UK has prompted the National Crime Agency to warn that ‘there has never been a more dangerous time to take drugs’.[2]
If we get our response right, we will save lives and reduce crime, easing pressure on a criminal justice system the government has acknowledged is in crisis, as well as wider public services.
Notes:
[1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/deathsrelatedtodrugpoisoninginenglandandwales2024registrations
[2] https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/there-has-never-been-a-more-dangerous-time-to-take-drugs-says-national-crime-agency-as-annual-threat-assessment-is-published
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