The UK will launch a pilot scheme to help vulnerable offenders with mental health, alcohol and substance abuse issues address the underlying causes of their offending.
The scheme will be launched in five areas around the country, and will see justice and health services sign up to a new protocol which directs vulnerable offenders – including those with mental health, alcohol or substance abuse issues – towards treatment which could address the root causes of criminality.
Some elements of the project have already launched in the pilot areas, which are:
- Birmingham
- Milton Keynes
- Northampton
- Plymouth and
- Sefton.
The project aims to reduce the number of offenders given short-term custodial sentences, are proven to have little impact on reoffending rates among vulnerable offenders.
How will the new pilot scheme work?
The scheme will rely on the judgement of psychologists, who will be present during court proceedings to assess the eligibility of each offender to receive treatment. Justice and health officials will be responsible for ensuring that judges and magistrates are made aware of the option to provide treatment rather than custodial sentences.
Additional training will be provided to staff in the pilot areas to ensure that collaboration between relevant stakeholders is effective. The project will help to rehabilitate offenders, as research indicates that 32% of offenders who are formally assessed are found to have drug misuse problems, and 38% are shown to have alcohol misuse problems.
What impact is the scheme expected to have?
For adults handed custodial sentences of less than 12 months, there is a proven reoffending rate of almost 65%. According to a joint report by the Ministry of Justice and Public Health England, offenders who received drug or alcohol treatment were 33% less likely to commit an offence in the two years afterwards than those who did not. When factoring in alcohol treatment alone, the reduction was 59%.
UK Secretary of State for Justice David Gauke said: “I want to improve confidence in community sentences, and early evidence from these sites has shown that treatment requirements can have a significant impact in improving rehabilitation and addressing the underlying causes of offending. We need to do more to raise awareness and increase confidence in treatment requirements and I look forward to exploring how these sites progress.”
