Spice epidemic grows in Britain's jails

LONDON, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- Figures from the Crown Prosecution Service show that 504 people have been charged with offences relating to spice, a form of synthetic cannabis, and other psychoactive drugs since a new law came into force in May 2016 that criminalised their production, sale and supply, a major newspaper reported Monday.

Most people (341) were charged with possession with intent to supply or supply (81), the Guardian said, adding that 11 were charged with offering to supply and just one with importing a psychoactive substance.

Seventy serving prisoners have been charged with possessing the highly addictive drug spice as paramedics say they are treating an increasing number of spice-addicted ex-offenders who collapse on the day of their release.

Prison staff complain that drugs are increasingly commonplace in jails. In July, 16 prison officers from Holme House prison in County Durham were off work having breathed in smoke blown from prisoners' cells. A 5.6-kilogram haul of spice was recovered from the jail.

The Psychoactive Substance Act 2016 does not make possession of spice a criminal offence outside prison.

Short-staffed prisons are struggling to cope with a spice epidemic as prisoners find ever-more ingenious ways to have drugs smuggled into their cells.

In December the ringleader of a gang who flew drugs and phones into prisons using drones was jailed for seven years and two months.

Judicial staff at Manchester magistrates court have complained to prisons after defendants have been presented for hearings via videolink clearly high on spice, the Guardian reported.

British Home Office data showed drugs were seized almost 30 times a day in prisons in England and Wales last year. Enditem