Drug-addicted prisoners forced to go “cold turkey” received compensation payments totalling £750,000

Drug-addicted prisoners forced to go “cold turkey” received compensation payments totalling £750,000 in the last year, according to official figures.The payments stem from a test case by six prisoners settled out of court in November 2006 by the Home Office. They came after a High Court judge approved damages after their claims the practice amounted to an assault and breach of human rights.Payments totalling £750,000 subsequently went to 197 prisoners forced to stop taking drugs at jails across England and Wales under the Opiate Dependent Prison Litigation.The statistics show nationally more than £2 million was paid in compensation by publicly-run prisons in 2006/07 - incredibly enough, down 54 per cent on the previous year’s pay-outs which totalled £4.4 million.Justice Secretary Jack Straw, released the data to MPs in response to a parliamentary question.