In prison, workplace drug testing is a critical part of protecting staff and the wider community. At HMP Parc, a Category B men’s private prison in South Wales, G4S has introduced fingerprint drug testing to strengthen anti-corruption measures and improve the efficiency of its drug testing programme.
For G4S, the move from urine drug testing to fingerprint drug testing has helped:
- Increase testing capacity.
- Reduce operational disruption.
- Normalise workplace drug testing.
- Educate staff who now accept it as part of regular operations.
About G4S & HMP Parc
G4S is the international division of Allied Universal, the world’s leading security and facility services provider. The organisation is a trusted partner to more than 400 Fortune 500 companies. In the UK, G4S operates an extensive network of offices and employs more than 31,000 people.
In South Wales, G4S manages HMP Parc, which houses a diverse population of over 1,800 adult males, juveniles and young offenders. Here, maintaining safety and preventing corruption are essential. Illicit drug use can create serious risks within a prison setting, particularly where staff may be vulnerable to bribery, blackmail, or coercion.
As Lee Burridge, Physical Security Senior Operational Manager at HMP Parc, explains:
“One of the major factors that contributes to a member of staff becoming compromised and therefore corrupted is illicit drug use in the community. If a prisoner were to find out about that, that could lead to a bribery or blackmail situation.”
He adds:
“Prisoners may want staff to convey contraband in. Drugs, weapons, illicit communication devices. All could aid in criminality, both in the prison and in the wider community and put people at risk.”
The Challenge: Low Testing Capacity & Operational Disruption
HMP Parc aims to lead in its approach to staff integrity and anti-corruption. Before introducing fingerprint drug testing, the site used urine drug screening to test staff.
While urine testing had a role in the programme, it created significant operational challenges. The process could be time-consuming, disruptive, and difficult to scale. In a prison environment, when a member of staff is unavailable for an extended period during testing, it can affect daily operations and site safety.
Lee Burridge explains:
“With urine testing, by the time we’d completed the paperwork and obtained the sample, that staff member could be with us for two to four hours. That means the person couldn’t fulfil the role they were assigned to. This impacted the safe running of the prison.”
This created a clear gap between the intention of the testing programme and the ability to enforce it consistently. Due to the time and complexity involved, testing rates remained low. This reduced the effectiveness of testing as both a detection tool and a deterrent.
G4S needed a solution that could increase testing capacity, support the anti-corruption team, and reduce disruption while respecting staff dignity.
The Solution: Fingerprint Drug Testing
G4S adopted the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Testing Solution to enable scalable staff screening.
The system’s speed, portability, and ease of use were key advantages. Fingerprint drug testing allowed teams to run tests quickly across different areas of the site. At HMP Parc, this represented a significant shift.
Lee Burridge says:
“Previously, with urine tests, we would struggle to drug test five people a month due to the time and complexity. However, now it’s not unusual for us to do 20 fingerprint drug tests in a day.”
This increase in capacity gave G4S a more practical way to conduct regular testing and reinforce staff integrity across the site.
Fingerprint drug testing also helped reduce the disruption associated with traditional methods. The process is quick, non-invasive, and does not require the same facilities or collection requirements as urine testing.
Implementation: Making Testing Visible & Routine
Testing is now conducted at a higher volume, supporting a more consistent and widespread approach across HMP Parc. The testing process also gives the team an opportunity to engage directly with staff. Screening sessions are used to reinforce why testing matters, what staff should look out for, and how proactive testing supports safety and integrity.
Lee Burridge explains:
“We aim to be very visible and conduct as many tests as possible. We also use that time to remind staff why testing is important and what to look out for.”
This visibility has helped normalise testing across the organisation. Rather than being seen as an infrequent or stigmatised process, fingerprint drug testing has become a more routine part of operations.
Lee Burridge says:
“Our staff have responded positively to the introduction of fingerprint drug testing. The process is quick, engaging, and far less intrusive than urine drug testing.
It has helped us normalise testing across the organisation. Previously, testing was infrequent and could raise suspicion. Now, it is seen as a routine part of operations, similar to standard security checks.”
The Impact: Stronger Deterrence, Greater Efficiency & Reduced Risk
For G4S, fingerprint drug testing has supported several important operational outcomes.
It has helped:
- Increase testing capacity.
- Reduce the disruption associated with urine testing.
- Improve visibility across the site.
- Normalise staff drug testing.
- Strengthen deterrence.
- Support anti-corruption measures.
- Protect staff, prisoners, and the wider community.
The ability to test more people, more consistently, has strengthened the overall programme. It has also helped reinforce the message that staff integrity is a routine and important part of maintaining safety at HMP Parc.
Lee Burridge explains:
“Fingerprint drug testing has strengthened our ability to prevent corruption and reduce risk across the site. Ultimately, it helps protect the integrity of our staff and the safety of the wider community.”
A Proactive Approach to Workplace Drug Testing
The G4S experience at HMP Parc shows how the right testing method can change how a workplace drug testing programme operates. By replacing urine drug testing with fingerprint drug testing, G4S has strengthened its ability to test proactively and reinforce staff integrity across the site.
To see how fingerprint drug testing can help your organisation, book a demonstration of the Intelligent Fingerprinting Drug Testing Solution. Our team can walk you through how the system works, how it fits into existing workplace drug testing policies, and how it can support safer, more efficient testing across your organisation.
