Meeting of the Parliament 26 February 2026 [Draft]
The committee launched its inquiry because repeated investigations, powerful testimony from families and staff, and the findings of the people’s panel all showed that Scotland’s prisons are facing systematic failure in responding to substance misuse. Witnesses told the committee that,
“in their view, prisons have become de facto holding environments for people whose core needs in relation to substance addictions are more clinical than criminal.”
The committee concluded that, without an acknowledgment of
“the underlying health-system shortcomings, efforts to reduce drug-related harm in custody will continue to fall short.”
The nature of the problem is complex, but it begins with Scotland’s prisons being severely overcrowded and understaffed. Low staffing levels increase the risk of incidents and limit the time for meaningful engagement with prisoners. The unpredictable behaviour associated with synthetic drug intoxication also means that officers are often the first responders to emergencies.
I was struck by our sessions with prisoners, who spoke candidly about drug use in prisons and their other experiences. One ex-prisoner had been given a seven-year sentence but had served 19 years because he was unable to cope without using drugs. Others in the group said that the trauma that they felt after reflecting on their crimes led them to taking drugs when they were in prison although they previously had not. The lack of meaningful activity is definitely also a factor. As one prison officer put it,
“At Glenochil and other prisons there is little to stimulate or engage prisoners—no wonder they take drugs.”
Police Scotland also provided a major clue to the nature of the problem when it
“emphasised that many of the same networks control both community and prison drug markets, using prisons to maintain influence and collect debts”,
which is a point that the convener made in her opening speech.
The public often wonder how drugs still reach our prisons, and that is probably one of the reasons why the committee delved into that question a bit further. As we have heard today, the reality is that there are many ways to bring drugs into prisons, including the increasing use of drones and small, impregnated parcels being brought in through various means, including by visitors.
During our visit to HMP Edinburgh, we viewed the grids that had been installed to prevent drones passing through or near windows, but, as one prisoner pointed out, there are some very clever people in jail and it is only a matter of time before they find a way round that. There are serious concerns about the use of drones, up to and including concerns about their capability to carry weapons.
The Scottish Prison Service and other witnesses frequently told the committee that synthetic cannabinoids known as spice are the most serious and current threat to safety and wellbeing in the prison estate. A recent survey cited by the Prison Officers Association found that
“40–75% reported a drug problem or tested positive for illegal substances on entering prison.”
One officer noted that the physical risks to officers caused by drug taking, especially drugs such as spice. Drugs are affecting prisoners psychologically, causing them to attack officers.
Drugs are a real and live issue in Scottish prisons. It comes as no surprise that those who are on the front line of the current situation—prison officers—are reporting low morale. It is vital that we turn the situation around. One of the committee’s recommendations is that there should be
“a national standard for pre-release healthcare planning should be introduced”.
Successive committees have acknowledged that, unless a Government plans for support for prisoners who have drug addiction and other related health problems when they are released from prison, they will continue to reoffend. It is about time that there was a Government that was able to take that on. Is it any wonder that our reoffending rates are sky high? This has to be a priority for whoever forms the next Government.
I thank the clerks for their support for this important work, and I hope that the report will be useful for the next Parliament.