Overview

This bill amends the Prison Act 1952 to broaden the scope of substance testing in prisons, expanding it beyond just controlled drugs to include psychoactive substances, prescription and pharmacy medicines, and other specified substances. It also allows for anonymized testing of samples to assess substance prevalence within prisons.

Description

The bill primarily amends Section 16A of the Prison Act 1952. Key changes include:

• Expanded Testing: Prisoners can now be tested for controlled drugs, psychoactive substances (as defined in the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016), pharmacy medicines, prescription-only medicines, and other specified substances.
• Anonymized Prevalence Studies: The Secretary of State gains the power to conduct anonymized testing of prisoner samples to determine the prevalence of various substances within prisons.
• Definitions: The bill clarifies definitions of key terms, including "medicinal product," "pharmacy medicine," "prescription-only medicine," and "psychoactive substance," drawing on existing legislation like the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
• Consequential Amendments: The bill makes consequential amendments to other relevant legislation, including the Prison Act 1952, Prison Rules 1999, and Young Offender Institution Rules 2000, to align with the expanded testing provisions. Certain older statutory instruments are revoked.
• Parliamentary Approval: Regulations made under the amended Section 16A(4) require approval from both Houses of Parliament.

Government Spending

The bill does not explicitly state the financial implications. The cost will likely involve additional resources for testing, analysis, and potentially staff training. However, specific figures are not provided in the bill text.

Groups Affected

• Prisoners: Will be subject to wider substance testing. This may lead to increased detection of substance abuse and potential disciplinary actions.
• Prison Staff: May experience increased workload related to testing and data management.
• Healthcare Professionals in Prisons: May be involved in providing samples or interpreting test results.
• The Ministry of Justice: Responsible for implementing and funding the changes.

Powered by nyModel