Prisoners in the UK will be granted access to pool tables if they undergo regular drug testing

By Malavika Pradeep

Published Mar 3, 2022 at 08:48 AM

Reading time: 2 minutes

28159

Seeking to tackle substance abuse in jails, prisoners will soon be granted access to pool tables, gym, work placements and more if they agree to go on drug-free wings and submit to regular testing, Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary of UK, has announced.

Pledging a major expansion of drug recovery wings, where convicts will also be provided with counselling and therapy to curb addiction, Raab explained that the new plan is part of the strategy to promote abstinence from drugs among prisoners as a replacement for methadone—a popular substitute for heroin which, according to the Justice Secretary, is increasingly leaving prisoners in a “zombie comatose” state where they are unable to take up training and work.

“One of the messages I am sending across the prison estate is that I want to massively drive up opportunities for getting offenders into work and get offenders off methadone… and into sustainable drug recovery programmes,” he told The Daily Telegraph, adding how all of these factors are linked. “You are not going to get offenders doing courses or into work if they have got high-level dependency and addictions—and methadone is highly, highly addictive.”

During his visit to Wandsworth prison in south London, which currently has a drug recovery wing and is creating new links with employers, Raab admitted that tackling substance abuse in jails and getting inmates into work are his “mission critical” priorities. While the job rate for ex-offenders currently accounts for only 0.8 per cent of a jail’s performance, the Justice Secretary plans to increase the same to 20 per cent—in turn, generating more funds, pay bonuses and autonomy for successful prisons and their staff.

Prisoners in the UK will be granted access to pool tables if they undergo regular drug testing

Raab has also announced performance league tables for jails while the administration will be instructed to prioritise the employment of convicts. “We are setting Key Performance Indicators for all our prisons and there will be league tables and goals,” the Justice Secretary said in this regard. “It’s for funding or progressing to earned autonomy, which means greater latitude for governors to decide their regime.”

Seeking to create numerous incentives to achieve his ultimate vision, the new set of privileges will also include access to amenities like TVs and better kitchen facilities—apart from pool tables, gyms and the right to work. Raab additionally believes that the potential pool of recruits from prisons could also plug any post-Brexit skill shortages. “The point that Rosie Brown [chairman of Wandsworth prison’s EAB] is making is that it’s a fantastic Brexit opportunity to drive down re-offending by getting offenders into work,” he said.

“I don’t think you could curtail their sentence, but we want to create a virtuous circle of showing offenders how they can change their lives,” the Justice Secretary concluded.

Keep On Reading

By Eliza Frost

Jessie Cave was banned from a Harry Potter fan convention because of her OnlyFans account

By Abby Amoakuh

Francesca Farago reveals that influencers are being paid to participate in trend mocking Hailey Bieber

By Eliza Frost

All the Tea on the new app that lets women vet men and date safely

By Eliza Frost

Is Belly Conklin the problem in The Summer I Turned Pretty?

By Eliza Frost

Taylor Swift is engaged to the boy on the football team, Travis Kelce 

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

Is Tate McRae a secret Trump supporter? Fans react to viral speculation

By Eliza Frost

People think Donald Trump is dead and they’re using the Pentagon Pizza Index to prove it

By Eliza Frost

Is the princess treatment TikTok trend the bare minimum or a relationship red flag?

By Eliza Frost

American Eagle and Sydney Sweeney face backlash with employee’s LinkedIn post adding fuel to the fire

By Alma Fabiani

The disturbing TikTok trend sexualising fake Down syndrome faces using AI filters

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

James Toback hit with landmark $1.68 billion jury award after 40 women accused director of sexual abuse

By Charlie Sawyer

Fans express concern after Harry Potter TV series announces the casting of Harry, Ron, and Hermione

By Eliza Frost

Taylor Swift announces new album on Travis Kelce’s podcast. Everything we know about TS12 so far

By Charlie Sawyer

Harry Potter TV series crew bewildered over production’s strange decision on location to film iconic scene

By Charlie Sawyer

Johnny Depp plays the victim once more and anoints himself crash test dummy for #MeToo

By Charlie Sawyer

Introducing Berlin’s latest tourist attraction Cybrothel, where men can request AI sex dolls covered in blood

By Charlie Sawyer

Transformers director Michael Bay officially confirmed to direct movie about viral Skibidi Toilet meme

By Abby Amoakuh

South Asian creators call out influencers for cultural appropriation after seeing scandi scarves at Coachella

By Eliza Frost

Everyone’s posing like Nicki Minaj: the TikTok trend explained 

By Charlie Sawyer

Gen Zers are taking out travel insurance policies for their Labubus ahead of summer