Prisoners who abstain from drugs and alcohol will be given televisions and access to gym equipment as an incentive for good behaviour.
Under a major Government crackdown, inmates will be offered special rewards as part of a new drive to have a ‘zero tolerance culture’ to drugs in prisons across England and Wales.
A prisons strategy paper, published by the Ministry of Justice on December 7, revealed that extra facilities like TVs, gym equipment, games consoles and access to private cash will be given to those who go cold turkey and beat their addiction.
Prisoners who abstain from drugs and alcohol will be given televisions and access to gym equipment as an incentive for good behaviour (File image)
Prisoners will be ‘assessed on arrival’ for drug and alcohol addictions and subsequently have a comprehensive plan put in place to support their recovery – including ‘abstinence-based treatment’.
In the key measures listed in the papers, there are also plans to expand ‘incentivised substance-free living units’ where prisoners live drug free, with peer support and complete voluntary testing to support their recovery.
League tables will also be established to monitor all prisons across the country to ensure the cycle of drugs and alcohol is broken and inmates are being rehabilitated.
The plans also revealed a new strategy to drug test staff for the first time ever as part of their ‘zero tolerance’ scheme, according to The Times.
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In a statement, Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said: We’re building the prisons to incarcerate dangerous and prolific offenders.
‘We’re deploying the tech to stop the flow of drugs, weapons and phones into prisons. And we’re re-orienting the regime to get offenders off drugs for good, and into work – to cut crime, and keep the pubic safe.
This news comes as the government announced yesterday that prison guards could be forced to go through airport-style security scanners to stop them sneaking illegal items into jails.
Vulnerable frontline prison staff who may be susceptible to corruption could be forced to use the scanners to stop them bringing in contraband (File image)
X-ray body scanners and biometric identification for visitors will be installed in all new prisons under a new crackdown on narcotics.
Vulnerable frontline prison staff who may be susceptible to corruption could be forced to use the scanners to stop them bringing in contraband.
Last night Boris Johnson said that the Government is delivering ‘tougher sentences and 20,000 more prison places’ but said prisons ‘need to play their part in cutting crime and preventing future victims’.
The Prime Minister added: ‘That is why – with a zero tolerance approach to drugs and more autonomy for governors to maintain good order – our reforms will clamp down on the causes of reoffending and make sure prison pays.’
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