AHS Views

In the UK, one category of offender goes to an ‘open’ prison – prisoners are allowed to wander freely, but must show up for roll calls. Sounds ideal but prisoners are walking out and sometimes even committing additional crimes to get into prisons with higher security. Why? Drugs. The pressure to take drugs in UK open prisons makes it almost impossible for an offender to stay drug free. A recent article described the experience of several prisoners, including one who had completed a drug rehab program but knew he couldn’t stay off drugs if he remained in the open prison system.

Another prisoner who walked out told the court that the inmates of the open prison he was in were “all using drugs and sharing needles.”  He was rearrested 30 minutes after walking out and, according to the article, he cheered when the court sent him to a higher security prison.

The UK government spends over $160 million a year on their anti-drug campaign. Mike Trace, chief executive of the Rehabilitation of Addicted Prisoners Trust, says the open prison system is undoing all the good the government program has done.

An unbelieveable scene. Sounds like the drug scene is worse in the prisons than out. Unless the open prison system starts getting control of the situation by implementing drug rehab, enforcement and other controls, prisoners coming out of the system will create havoc on the streets.