BROMLEY BRIEFINGS PRISON FACTFILE - Prison Reform Trust

Alcohol 264In almost half of violent crimes (48%) thevictim believed the offender or offenders to beunder the influence of alcohol. 265Nearly two-thirds of sentenced male prisoners(63%) and two-fifths of female sentencedprisoners (39%) admit to hazardous drinkingwhich carries the risk of physical or mentalharm. Of these, about half have a severe alcoholdependency.34% of prisoners in Scotland have indicatedthat their drinking was a problem outside, and35% that they had to have a drink first thing inthe morning. 44% reported that they were drunkat the time of their offence. 20% indicated thatthey received help/treatment for their alcoholproblems whilst in prison. 26644% of young adults (18-24) are binge drinkers.27% of binge drinkers admitted committing anoffence in the past 12 months – compared with13% of drinkers who did not binge. 267Children who have begun binge drinking by theage of 16 are 90% more likely to have criminalconvictions by the age of 30. 268It is common for prisoners who have alcoholproblems to also have drug problems. Just overa quarter of male prisoners and about a fifth offemale prisoners who are hazardous drinkers aredependent on at least one type of illicit drug.In 2002/2003 an estimated 6,400 prisonersundertook alcohol detoxificationprogrammes, and an estimated 7,000 moreprisoners undertook detoxification forcombined alcohol and drug misuse.There are no specific accredited alcoholtreatment programmes with ring-fencedfunding in prisons in England and Wales.A Prison Service survey conducted in 2003,that received responses from half of allprisons in England and Wales, identified onlyone prison that had a dedicated alcoholstrategy.In December 2004 the Prison Servicepublished its long awaited alcohol strategyfor prisoners, which focuses primarily onimproving consistency of measures to preventfuture hazardous drinking across the prisonestate and builds on existing good practice.But it has not been supported by additionalresources.Misuse of alcohol and irresponsible drinkingresult in economic and social costs in theregion of £18 – 20 billion per year. 269264. Unless marked otherwise, all the figures in this section are from Prison Reform Trust briefing paper (January 2004) Alcohol and re-offending: who cares?265. Home Office Statistical Bulletin, 02/06, January 2006: Violent Crime Overview, Homicide and Gun Crime 2004/5, 2nd edition266. Scottish Prison Service, 9th Prisoner Survey 2006267. Home Office, Findings from the 2003 offending, crime and justice survey: alcohol-related crime and disorder- 261268. Viner, Russell M. and Taylor, Brent, Adult outcomes of binge drinking in adolescence: findings from a UK national birth cohort, Journal of Epidemiology andCommunity Health, 2007; 61: pp. 902-907269. Home Office Departmental Report 2007, May 2007www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk 33