Government bid to clear drugs, weapons and gangs from prisons

The government has announced it will launch a "major" new examination into the security of prisons in England and Wales.

The independent review will be led by former Conservative Home Secretary Amber Rudd.

It follows on from the independent review of prison capacity, led by Dame Anne Owers that outlined the overcrowding crisis facing jails, and the independent sentencing review, led by former Conservative justice secretary, David Gauke, which recommended how to reduce pressure on the system.

Ministers say this latest review will help to "root out" violence, corruption, illicit drugs, and organised crime in prisons.

Ms Rudd will examine the security and safety challenges facing prisons, looking at what action is needed to tackle emerging threats such as drones and cyber attacks.

Sky News has previously revealed how criminal gangs are using drones to fly drugs and weapons into jails.

There were 1,712 drone incidents around prisons in England and Wales between April 2024 and March 2025, a 43% rise on the previous 12 months - a new peak.

While a recent report by the government's independent spending watchdog, the National Audit Office (NAO), said the prison service and the government have been "too slow" to respond to "urgent threats", with maintenance backlogs and significant budget underspends on security measures like anti-drone equipment leaving prisons "vulnerable".

Ms Rudd will also look into how prisons can improve rehabilitation - which could reduce pressure on the prison estate by cutting the number of reoffenders - as well as how to improve staffing and leadership.

How to prevent violence, reduce instances of self harm, and improving day-to-day conditions will also be a focus.

The independent review will report back to government by December - by which time a new prime minister will have been in place for a few months.

Justice Secretary David Lammy said the review will help "tackle the deep-rooted problems facing our prisons and set out a long-term plan to build a safer, more resilient system that cuts crime, reduces reoffending and delivers punishment that works".

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Ms Rudd said that as home secretary she saw the "importance of ensuring prisons do not become places where criminal behaviour is reinforced".

"I look forward to working independently across government and with frontline staff to identify practical reforms that make prisons safer, more resilient and fit for the future," she added.

The review is the latest attempt by ministers to get on top of the prisons crisis.

Some 14,000 extra prison places will be built over the next five years, while tens of thousands of prisoners have been released early in an attempt to reduce the pressure on the system.

The Sentencing Act, passed by parliament in January, will axe sentences of 12 months or less.

(c) Sky News 2026: Government bid to clear drugs, weapons and gangs from prisons