True scale of UK’s prison drug crisis revealed as deaths hit record high

Deaths have almost doubled year on year since 2024 as prisons grapple with large-scale drone deliveries, which have ushered in a ‘paradigm shift’ in drug availability - (Getty)

Drug dealers are “operating with impunity” in Britain’s prisons, a watchdog has warned, as new figures show drug-related deaths have soared to a record high.

Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, has hit out at the “dreadful” death toll from the prison drugs crisis as he called for urgent action to stop overcrowded jails from being flooded with lethal substances, including synthetic drugs.