This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Verdict on Glasgow Drug Court
11/11/2002
A report on the first six months of a pilot Scottish Drug Court shows this initiative has largely been a success.
The Scottish Drug Court, established at Glasgow Sheriff Court in October 2001, aims to reduce drug misuse and associated offending by offering treatment based options outside the traditional court setting.
The report is published ahead of the first anniversary of the first sitting of the Court on Tuesday, November 12.
It is the first stage of a two-year evaluation of the effectiveness of the Glasgow Drug Court in reducing the level of drug-related offending behaviour, and reducing or eliminating an offenders' tendency to use drugs.
In addition to identifying positive aspects of the Drug Court, the evaluation enables any teething problems to be identified and addressed.
Key findings include:
- The role of the Drug Court Sheriffs has been critical to the success of the Court
- The dedicated Drug Court Team and resources are viewed as a positive contribution to the reduction of drug-related offences in Glasgow
- Certain operational teething problems have been identified (including workload of Drug Court staff) allowing them to be addressed, minimising any impact on the future operation of the Drug Court.
Speaking in response to the report, Deputy Justice Minister Richard Simpson said:
"The results of the evaluation are encouraging. The Glasgow pilot Drug Court has had a positive impact in tackling drug related crime in the city. Offenders have been successfully directed towards treatment programmes which has encouraged them to break the cycle of crime and drug dependency."
The introduction of the new Drug Court followed the report of a Working Group which concluded in May 2001 that the establishment of a Drug Court in Glasgow was feasible within existing legislation.
In October 2001, Scotland's first Drug Court was established in Glasgow Sheriff Court, operating under summary proceedings.
The objectives of the new Drug Court are to:
- reduce the level of drug-related offending behaviour
- reduce or eliminate offenders' dependence on or tendency to use drugs
- examine the viability and usefulness of a Drug Court in Scotland using existing legislation.
The Drug Court targets males and females over the age of 21, with an established link between a pattern of serious drug misuse and offending, and whose drug misuse is receptive to treatment.
Offenders referred to the Drug Court must otherwise have been facing prosecution in the Sheriff Summary Court and should normally first appear before the Summary Court from custody.
The Criminal Justice Bill will seek provision to enable a drug court to impose intermediate sanctions such as a short period of imprisonment or detention whilst allowing the conditions of an offenders Drug Treatment and Testing Order to continue.
The research report The Glasgow Drug Court in Action: The First Six Months, is published by Scottish Executive Social Research, and is available from:
The Stationary Office Bookshop
71 Lothian Road
Edinburgh