Number of Prisoners Overdosing on the Rise, Prisons Minister Reveals

Damien Hinds said new drug units would be installed in British jails to cope with the crisis after 2,400 incidents were recorded in jails last year.

A drug search dog and officer patrol the perimeter of Birmingham Prison on Aug. 20, 2018. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The number of drug overdoses recorded in British jails has risen, the prisons minister has revealed.

Almost 2,400 incidents of prisoners overdosing on illicit or prescription substances were recorded in 2022—up from 2,273 the year prior.