The future of mandatory drug testing in Scottish prisons: A review of policy

This article reviews the procedures for the management of drug misuse in Scottish prisons 10 years after the introduction of the legislative framework permitting the introduction of mandatory drug testing (MDT). In April 2005 the Scottish Prison Service announced its decision to discontinue mandatory random drug tests (MRDTs) in Scottish prisons. This decision was not without controversy and was met by criticisms in the media that the prison service had given up on the fight against controlling substance abuse among inmates within Scottish prisons. This research examines the reality of the problem and some of the issues that have arisen over the past 10 years. The current usage of mandatory drug testing and some possible future implications of its usage are researched through the realistic but forward‐looking approach currently utilised at Edinburgh prison.