Drugs Behind 37% of Deaths Among Welsh Prison Leavers on Probation
More than a third of the former prisoners who died while supervised by probation in Wales in 2024-25 died of causes linked to drugs. That is the finding of a new report from the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University.
The report puts the figure at 37% of all such deaths in Wales. Across England and Wales combined, drug-related deaths made up just over a fifth of the total. In Wales, drug poisonings where the intent was recorded as undetermined accounted for 19 of the 52 deaths. The matching England and Wales figure was 131 of 620, or 21%.
The report's author, Dr Robert Jones, called on the UK and Welsh governments to find a solution to what he described as a "tragic" situation. His research drew on UK government data, including answers to Freedom of Information requests.
"Systematic failures"
Jones said the data pointed to "systematic failures" with tragic consequences, yet there was no real debate under way about the deaths or how to prevent them. Criminal justice in Wales is controlled by Westminster, while housing, education, local government and tackling substance use are devolved. He said that criminal justice matters can fall between the gaps in debates in the Senedd and in Westminster.
He said the report raised questions about whether the Welsh government has the powers it needs to address the underlying causes. Plaid Cymru's Welsh government, like the previous Labour administration, argues that justice should be devolved.
David Bennett of Wallich, Wales's largest homelessness charity, said most drug-related deaths are preventable if drug use is treated as a health issue rather than a criminal justice one. He said housing, health and justice need a joined-up approach. He added that without coordinated support, prison leavers are "being set up to fail".
Homelessness and sentencing
The report also says homelessness among former prisoners is still rising. In 2025-26, 695 people leaving prison under Welsh probation services were recorded as rough sleeping on the day of release. That number was up 24% on the year before.
Other findings cover sentencing. More than a third, 39%, of all custodial sentences given to women in Wales in 2025 were for offences related to theft from shops. People from black ethnic groups remained the most overrepresented in the prison population: 58 black people from Wales were in prison for every 10,000 of the population, against 15 white people per 10,000.
Government responses
A Welsh government spokesperson said every drug-related death is a tragedy and that it is working with health boards, local authorities and Public Health Wales on early intervention, prevention, treatment and recovery. The spokesperson said the findings strengthen the case for full devolution of justice.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said the department inherited prisons in crisis and is investing more than £3.4m in services across prisons, probation and courts in Wales to help prison leavers overcome addiction.
Source: BBC News