04 February 2026
Today (Wednesday 4 February 2026), the National Audit Office published a report on the costs of tackling drug harms in prisons.
Statement from WithYou
Karen Ratcliff, national criminal justice lead for WithYou, said:
“This report lays bare the scale of drug harm in our prisons and the devastating cost of failing to address it properly.
"50% of prisoners are experiencing drug problems, drug-related deaths continue at an alarming rate, and real-terms cuts to drug treatment continue to undermine every effort to prevent this tragedy.
“We cannot address prison drug harm through security alone. Restricting supply must go hand-in-hand with high-quality, trauma-informed drug treatment and recovery support. Better partnership between health and justice is critical, as is continuity of care. Without strong links between prison and community services, people are being released back into the same risks that brought them into custody.
“We need urgent investment, strong partnerships, and a renewed commitment to seeing people in prison as human beings who deserve the chance to recover.”
