Tackling drug harms in prisons: cost

In April 2025, about 40,000 people in prisons in England & Wales (50%) had an identified drug problem, with 833 deaths in 2 years. This National Audit Office report focuses on how the prison and health services are using public funds to tackle drug harms: “We heard prison staff voice their frustration at the slow pace of urgent repairs and improvements… Our estimate is that drug treatment funding decreased in real terms“. See also Prison drug use strains NHS services.