Overview

This bill amends the Prison Act 1952 to expand the types of substances prison authorities can test for in prisoners. It broadens testing beyond controlled drugs to include psychoactive substances, prescription and pharmacy medicines, and other specified substances, allowing for anonymous testing to assess substance prevalence within prisons.

Description

Expanded Substance Testing

The bill significantly expands the scope of substance testing in prisons. It allows for testing not only for controlled drugs, but also for psychoactive substances (as defined in the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016), prescription-only medicines, pharmacy medicines, and other substances that the Secretary of State may specify.

Anonymous Prevalence Testing

The Secretary of State gains the power to conduct anonymous testing of prisoner samples to determine the prevalence of various substances within the prison system. This data will help understand substance use patterns.

Legislative Amendments

The bill amends existing legislation, including the Prison Act 1952, Prison Rules 1999, and Young Offender Institution Rules 2000, to reflect the broadened scope of testing and to repeal conflicting previous regulations.

Secretary of State Powers

The Secretary of State is granted powers to create regulations to further amend the Act in response to changes in related legislation, such as updates to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. These regulations will require parliamentary approval.

Government Spending

The bill doesn't specify the exact cost implications. However, there will be increased costs associated with expanded testing, including purchasing testing equipment, training staff, and analyzing the increased volume of samples. No specific figures are provided within the bill itself.

Groups Affected

Prisoners: Will be subject to broader substance testing. Anonymous testing may reduce individual concerns about privacy, but the increased testing could be perceived as intrusive.
Prison Staff: Will be involved in the increased testing procedures and may require additional training.
The Ministry of Justice: Will be responsible for implementing the new regulations, overseeing testing procedures, and analyzing the resulting data.
Healthcare Professionals in Prisons: Will need to adapt their practices to align with the broadened scope of testing.

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