Ad Hoc Query on drugs in detention centers
At the beginning of 2023, a coordination meeting of the directors of the Belgian closed detention centers was held. At this meeting, they expressed their concern about the significant increase in the trafficking of drugs inside their centers. That’s why EMN Belgium was asked to launch an ad-hoc query in order to gather information on how this issue is addressed in the other Member States.
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No less than 22 Member States replied to this query. Please find below some of the findings:
- In Germany, more than half of the residents in a detention center have a drug problem. They are for example addicted to heroin, cocaine THC, pregabalin and benzodiazepines. But due to the tight controls, there are no problems with drug trafficking in the centers.
- In the Netherlands, it is a criminal offense, since 1 November 2019, to bring certain objects into detention centers, prisons, and psychiatric institutions. Persons who bring prohibited items into the detention center may be punished under this provision by imprisonment of up to six months or a third-category fine.
- In Finland, when there are reasons to suspect that several detainees are in possession of narcotics, a larger-scale special inspection of the whole unit can be conducted. In these situations, the detention units can ask for assistance from other authorities. Usually this means the use of sniffer dogs from for example the Police Departments, the Customs Service, and the Border Guard. According to Finnish authorities, this possibility has been very useful.
For detailed information, please read the compilation of answers attached above.