Key reading:
Review of prison-based drug treatment funding: final report.
Price Waterhouse Cooper, March, 2008.
This review addresses the question of whether the extent and administration of funding is sufficient to meet the requirements and obligations of prisons in terms of drug treatment services for offenders. It centres around the following issues: meeting prisoners’ needs, standards of care, treatment outcomes, improvement of funding and commissioning to meet minimum treatment standards, and performance management of treatment.
Web: http://www.justice.gov.uk/docs/prison-drug-treatment-funding.pdf (PDF)
Dedicated drug court pilots: a process report
Matrix Knowledge Group, 2008.
Research from other countries suggests that a dedicated holistic approach can increase engagement with treatment, improve chances of successful completion of treatment and so reduce drug use and related offending. For these reasons, MOJ announced its commitment to piloting a DDC model in England and Wales by 2005 and establishing courts where appropriate by 2008. Two magistrates’ courts were identified as pilots by MOJ, Leeds and West London. MOJ commissioned Matrix Knowledge Group, in partnership with Urban Institute and supported by leading academics from the Universities of Stirling, Sheffield, Cambridge and Kent, to undertake an independent process evaluation of these courts. The process evaluation was undertaken over a 17 month period at the two DDC pilot sites and was completed by the end of May 2007. The findings of the process evaluation are reported here.
Download: Full report (PDF 212KB )
The treatment and supervision of drug-dependent offenders: a review of the literature prepared for the UK Drug Policy Commission
McSweeney T., Turnball P.J., Hough M. ICPR, 2008.
The main findings from this review show that some interventions can be effective in reducing illicit drug use and offending behaviours with some drug-dependent offenders. In terms of identifying the most effective strategies, the strongest evidence seems to favour the use of therapeutic communities, interventions modelled on the drug court approach and substitute treatments such as methadone maintenance.
Web: http://www.ukdpc.org.uk/resources/RDURR_ICPR_literature_review.pdf (PDF 236KB )
Evidence of the impact of the Drug Interventions Programme - summaries and sources
UK. Home Office, 2008.
This report is a round-up of formal research, other impact analysis and practice papers relating to DIP up to the end of January 2008. It gathers together the currently identified body of research, local evaluation and analysis of local practice about the impact that the Drug Interventions Programme is having.
Download: Full report (PDF 192KB)
Reducing drug use, reducing reoffending - are programmes for problem drug-using offenders in the UK supported by the evidence?
UK Drug Policy Commission, 2008.
The aim of this review is to consider the evidence underpinning the interventions that make up this important plank of the UK strategies and to identify the key issues and policy implications arising from this, to inform development of both policy and practice and to encourage informed debate about the issues. The review addresses the following key questions:
- What is the extent and nature of problem drug use among offenders and to what extent is this associated with crime and disorder?
- What interventions are in place within the UK for problem drug-using offenders?
- What is the evidence for the effectiveness of these approaches and what are the key factors that impact on effectiveness?
- What are the implications of this evidence for policy and practice?
Download: Full report (PDF 516KB)
The Drug Interventions Programme (DIP): addressing drug use and offending through 'Tough Choices'.
Home Office, 2007.
This paper examines the way that the Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) engages and directs Class A drug users from the point of arrest or charge to the point of treatment.
Web: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/horr02c.pdf (PDF)
Evaluation of Drug Interventions Programme pilots for children and young people: arrest referral, drug testing and Drug Treatment and Testing Requirements
Matrix Research and Consultancy, Institute for Criminal Policy Research, Kings College, Home Office, 2007.
This report evaluates the Drugs Interventions Programme (part of the Drugs Strategy aimed at reducing drug related crime). DIP seeks to identify young people at risk of problematic drug use and refer them to appropriate programmes for help.
Web: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/rdsolr0707.pdf (PDF)
Evaluation of the Restriction of Bail Pilot: final report
Home Office, 2007.
The report focuses on the implementation of the provision in the pilot sites during the first eighteen months of the intervention; it shows that RoB has been a success in terms of its implementation. During the period covered by this report 1,315 defendants had RoB imposed, of this 93 per cent who were assessed were recommended for treatment and of these 70 per cent were not in treatment at the time of asessment. Three–quarters of defendants bailed with Rob were retained in treatment for 12 weeks or more. The report also tells us of defendant and stakeholders views on the intervention.
Web: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/rdsolr0607.pdf (PDF)
Supervising crack-using offenders on Drug Treatment and Testing Orders.
NTA, 2007.
The aim of this report is to identify best practice in court-mandated community.
Web: www.nta.nhs.uk/publications/documents/nta_rb22_crack_users_dttos.pdf (PDF)
Drug intervention programme and prolific and other priority offenders programme: emerging practice and lessons
UK Home Office, 2006.
This paper provides examples of emerging practice and lessons learned in relation to the working partnerships between CJITs and PPO teams in effectively case managing drug misusing PPOs
Download: Full report (PDF 316KB)
Throughcare and aftercare: approaches and promising practice in service delivery for clients released from prison or leaving residential rehabilitation
Fox A., Khan L., Briggs D., Rees-Jones N., Thompson Z., Owens J., UK. Home Office. Research, Development and Statistics Directorate., Galahad SMS, 2005.
(Home Office Online Report 01/05). The Home Office commissioned a report in August 2003 to examine existing approaches to throughcare and aftercare services for people with drug problems returning to the community from prison and residential rehabilitation centres. The findings summarised in this report are based on interviews conducted with staff and clients from the case studies in conjunction with interviews from staff and prisoners in the referring agencies. The report was commissioned in order to assist with the development of the Criminal Justice Interventions Programme (CJIP, now known as the Drug Interventions Programme). It describes the main approaches to aftercare evident in the case studies, identifies the key challenges to effective delivery and highlights some of the more promising practices in service delivery.
Download: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr0105.pdf (PDF 232KB)
Strategy for the management and treatment of problematic drug users within the correctional services
UK. Home Office. National Probation Service. National Offender Management Service, 2005.
The aim of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Drug Strategy is to address the needs of problematic drug users and to reduce harm to themselves and others.
Download: http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/files/pdf/NOMSDrugStrategy-V6-130105.pdf (PDF 216KB)
The CARAT drug service in prisons: findings from the research database: Findings 262
May C., Home Office, 2005.
This report presents the findings from a database set up to monitor prisoners accessing the CARAT drug service across prisons in England and Wales, their profile, and services received. The study, based on 48,675 cases in 2004/05, outlines the profile of prisoners accessing the service in terms of demographic factors, offences, sentence length and drug use. The findings provide contextual background information to inform policy, for example by helping to indicate where best to target drug interventions.
Download: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/r262.pdf (PDF 70KB)
A question of numbers: the potential impact of community-based treatment orders in England and Wales
Lawton-Smith S. Stanley E. (ed.) King's Fund, 2005.
Compulsory community-based treatment orders require patients at risk of harming themselves or others to comply with a set of conditions, such as taking their medication, while living in the community. The draft Mental Health Bill 2004 incorporates plans to introduce compulsory orders in England and Wales. This report discusses how many people could become subject to non-residential orders if the Bill becomes law, drawing on examples from countries around the world with similar systems already in place.
Web: http://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/kings_fund_publications/a_question_of_1.html
