Prisons Watchdog Calls for Radical Management of Drug Dealers in Jail
Charlie Taylor, the inspector of prisons for England and Wales, has stated that jailed criminals responsible for flooding prisons with drugs should be isolated similarly to radical extremists and managed assertively.
Taylor emphasized that major drug dealers currently live "consequence-free" within prisons when they should be separated from the majority of inmates, subjected to frequent phone searches, and both punished and rewarded based on their behavior.
This call for a fundamental change comes amid concerns from Members of Parliament about breaking the cycle of violence and disorder caused by the large-scale importation of drugs into "long-term high-risk" prisons, which house the most dangerous offenders in England and Wales.
Assertive Management and Separation of Drug Dealers
In an interview with , Taylor explained:
"Some serious organised crime gang members are coming into prison and their feet just don’t touch the ground. They’re running operations and making a lot of money almost from the moment they get into the jail. And at the moment, it feels fairly consequence-free. We should be thinking about assertively managing some of these people within prisons – separating them, controlling the regime and saying to them clearly: ‘If you want to be part of the normal regime of a prison, you need to stop commissioning drug sales into the jail.’ I would like to see more searches, more use of dogs."
Taylor noted that both the police and the Prison Service are aware of who the imprisoned drug dealers are. He cited the example of isolation units used for radicalisers, which have shown positive effects, stating, "We have done that with radicalisers and you could see the effect that had – governors breathed an absolute sigh of relief."
Drug Use and Violence in Prisons
Parliamentary findings have identified "endemic" drug use in prisons as a cause of violence and debt. More than one in ten male prisoners and nearly two in five female prisoners develop drug habits while incarcerated, with 39% of prisoners reporting that it is easy to obtain drugs.
Recent inspections of three of the eight long-term high-security prisons – HMP Manchester, Swaleside, and Woodhill – revealed escalating violence linked to drug activity.
Drone Threats and Contraband Smuggling
Taylor highlighted the use of drones to circumvent prison defenses as a "national security threat," noting their capability to deliver weapons into facilities such as Long Lartin in Worcestershire, which houses terrorist offenders.
"I think the Prison Service, and others across government, have been very slow to respond [to the drone threat], If you’re getting weapons into HMP Long Lartin, which has got terrorist offenders serving very long sentences, and organised crime gangs, that’s a national security threat. The state should be rallying around and I don’t think it has done."
Drones are now reportedly used to deliver large quantities of goods on demand. Taylor recounted an incident where an 11kg package was smuggled into a prison containing mobile phones, chargers, SIM cards, Ozempic (used for weight loss), Minoxidil (used to treat hair loss), anabolic steroids, and significant amounts of cannabis.
Concerns Over Prison Recall System and Risk Management
Taylor, whose role as chief inspector ends in October after six years, criticized the Prison Service for inadequate planning regarding an influx of prisoners being recalled to custody.
Since 31 March, ministers have discontinued short-term recalls of 14 and 28 days. Instead, those returning to prison for breaching licence conditions face a 56-day recall period before release.
"I don’t think the Prison Service has done enough planning about what to do with these prisoners on a 56-day recall, What is a reasonable expectation for that prisoner? What should the prison be doing in those 56 days, or will it just become a revolving door? That is a risk for the general population."
Taylor also warned of increased risks to domestic abuse survivors as ex-offenders are released with minimal preparation under the "earned progression" model.
"The way the justice system used to work is you committed an offence, you got arrested, you went to court, you had a trial, and then you got sentenced to prison. But because of the enormous wait for trials, what’s happening now is you get arrested, you get sent to prison on remand, you then have your trial and you then get released with little support. So you’ve got potentially very risky people coming out potentially homeless. If it’s a domestic abuser, and you’ve come out homeless, well, of course the danger is where are you going to go? You’re going to go to the victim’s house."
Ministry of Justice Response
The Ministry of Justice did not directly address Taylor’s proposal to isolate drug dealers.
A spokesperson stated:
"As the chief inspector recognises, the prison crisis we inherited has left too many jails breeding crime rather than preventing it, with consequences felt across the estate. We are tackling these challenges head-on and have invested over £40m in new prison security, including £10m on anti-drone measures, to clamp down on the illicit items that fuel violence. We will continue to ensure those caught smuggling contraband into the prison estate face the full force of the law."
The Ministry also noted that the 56-day recall system allows more time to conduct necessary risk assessments to protect the public.
