The Government believes that the best way to reduce drug-related crime and re-offending is to get problem drug users into the appropriate treatment and support services. We do this by providing opportunities at all stages of the criminal justice system for people to access treatment to promote recovery from drug addiction. A range of different interventions exist.
Arrest referral schemes
Arrest referral schemes provide an opportunity for those individuals with drugs issues who have been arrested, to engage on a voluntary basis with drug treatment and or other appropriate services. An evaluation, which reported in 2006, suggested that arrest referral schemes, which are restricted to certain areas of Scotland, appear to be successful in targeting arrestees with substance misuse problems.
Drug Courts
Drug Courts operate in Glasgow and Fife. They are targeted at those with complex and deeply entrenched drug problems to help them recover from addiction and rebuild their lives. Specialist sheriffs, multi-agency working and effective case management are key characteristics of the drug court. Evidence shows that sizeable proportions of drug court clients were to achieve and sustain reductions in drug use and associated offending. Following a review of the success and effectiveness of drug courts, Ministers agreed to extend funding until March 2012. The extension of funding was conditional on establishing savings and efficiencies in the operation of the Drug Courts which could be implemented from March 2012.
Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs)
DTTOs are targeted on a relatively narrow band of high tariff offenders with a significant number of previous convictions and custodial sentences and who might otherwise be facing a further custodial term. The Order contains features unique to a community penalty, including requirements for regular reviews by the court and for the offender to consent to frequent random drug tests throughout the lifetime of the Order. Those made the subject of an Order require to display significant levels of co-operation and compliance during what is a highly intensive and invasive community disposal.
752 orders were imposed in 2008-9. Previous research showed DTTOs can have a positive impact on drug use and offending. After six months on an order an individual's expenditure on drugs decreased from an average of £490 per week pre-sentence to an average of £57 per week. DTTOs also compare well with the cost of prison - the average annual cost of a DTTO is £10,000, while the average cost of prison is £35,000 per year.
Historically, courts have also been able to impose a specific additional condition requiring an offender to undertake drug treatment/education as part of a probation order. Offenders receiving a probation order with a condition of drug treatment generally have a lesser criminal history than those made the subject of a DDTO the nature of the order allows a more holistic approach to be applied to address issues of accommodation, employment, etc. in addition to the drugs misuse. In 2008-09 courts imposed 482 such orders.
We are also piloting the use of DTTOs which have been adapted for use with lower tariff offenders. The pilot started in June 2008 and was due to run for two years in the majority of courts in the Lothians and Borders Sheriffdom, including Justice of the Peace courts. Following an independent evaluation of the pilot which reported in June 2010, Ministers agreed to extend funding to 31 March 2012 to allow for further evidence gathering on longer term outcomes such as re-offending.
Review of Criminal Justice Interventions for Problem Drug Users
We have commissioned the Scottish Centre for Criminal Justice Research (SCCJR) to undertake a review of the current evidence base for criminal justice interventions for offenders with drug problems in Scotland. The review will include arrest referral, DTTOs and the Drug Courts. It will seek to cover issues such as referrals, cost, effectiveness in terms of outcomes, value for money and what interventions are being used in the UK and elsewhere. The review will report early in 2011.