Overcrowded prisons worsening the drug problems

Alia Tabassum

October 27, 2014

Nineteen percent of drug users have used heroin first time in prison. Forest Bank ranked highest with 123 positive opiate tests in 2013.

Last year, in the prisons of England and Wales 1328 prisoners showed positive in an opiate test with highest numbers in Forest Bank prison.

The highest number of prisoners using Heroin found in Peterborough prison, making the total number of prisoners used Heroin in country's all prisons 203.

93 prisoners using needle related drugs found in Kirkham prison, with 192 cases in all prisons.

The Prison Reform Trust  says, 19 percent of prisoners who had ever used Heroin claimed using it the first time in a prison. According to data compiled  in the end of March this year,  77 prisons out of 119 were over crowded. Forest bank, Birmingham, Doncaster and Altcourse have high rates of overcrowding and these are on the list of those 72 prisons with positive opiate tests.

Prisoners found with drugs or prohibited items can expect to have days added to their custody, being transferred to a different prison and losing privileges.