Pubdate: Sun, 11 Jan 2015
Source: Daily Mail (UK)
Copyright: 2015 Associated Newspapers Ltd
Contact:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/108
Author: Claire Carter

ALMOST 30,000 PRISON INMATES WERE GIVEN HEROIN SUBSTITUTE LAST YEAR
TO FEED THEIR ADDICTION

Almost 30,000 prisoners addicted to drugs were given a heroin
substitute last year to feed their dependence, figures show.

The drugs were paid for by the taxpayer and given to inmates in a bid
to help them kick the habit.

However inmates who are in prison for less than three months do not
have time to complete the drug treatment programme, but are supplied
with methadone or buprenorphine.

The figures were revealed in a request by Andrew Griffiths MP to the
Secretary of State.

This revealed that 29,717 prisoners were given drugs as part of
'opioid maintenance' between 2013 and 2014.

National clinical guidance recommends that prisoners on sentences of
less than six months receive the heroin substitute.

This is prescribed as a way to begin treatment for their drug
addiction.

'If we want to rehabilitate offenders, it is vital that our prisons
are a drug free environment,' said the MP for Burton.

'The Government spending too much on methadone dependency and not
enough on programs to get people abstinent and drug free.'

Norman Lamb, the care minister said: 'Most offenders receiving drug
treatment in prison are there for three months or less, either serving
short sentences or on remand for a few weeks and not in the system
long enough to complete a structured drug treatment programme.'

In a parliamentary question Mr Griffiths also asked how many instances
of drugs - including cannabis, cocaine and heroine - being seized from
prisoners took place in the last 12 months.

This revealed there were 4,479 instances of drugs seizures between
2013 and 2014. Cannabis was the most common drug seized, with 1.051
seizures taking place in the last 12 months.
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D