Annex
DURHAM
COUNTY
DRUG
ACTION
TEAM
In May 1997, a drugs arrest referral scheme
was launched within the constabulary area. The scheme is multi-agency
in format, a partnership between health education, social services,
the voluntary sector and the police. It is a scheme which is seen
as an alternative to prosecution, provided that certain criteria
are fulfilled. The alternative to prosecution is counselling provided
by the North East Council on Addictions, without police involvement,
and on a strictly confidential basis.
The scheme will be available to all arrested
persons who fulfil the criteria below, irrespective of previous
convictions for drugs related or other offences:
— the offence must
be one of simple possession;
— the possession
must be for the arrested person's personal use;
— there must be
a clear admission of guilt;
— there must be
a clear admission as to the nature of the substance being possessed;
— there must be
clear agreement to participate in the scheme.
The scheme aims to encourage people to make
more informed choices about drug behaviour and to develop resistant
techniques and a capacity to say no to drugs when they so choose.
It is also hoped that the scheme will also encourage a reduction
in the supply of drugs locally by depressing the demand.
The drugs referral scheme is one of a number
of initiatives commissioned by the Durham County Drug Action Team,
the scheme will be the subject of a detailed evaluation by a professional
body in the future.
AVON
AND
SOMERSET
WHEELS
PROJECT
The Avon and Somerset Constabulary, through
its Diversion Team, were deeply involved in the establishment
of the Wheels Project. This project, which was set up in response
to the record levels of car crime in the area, provided a 10 week
course as a direct alternative to custody for 17 (now 16) to 25
year old auto offenders.
The project which is based at 24 Emery Road,
Brislington, Bristol BS4 5PF is unique in having a Police officer
attached for three days per week who delivers group work and counselling
to the offenders. Some 60 offenders are targeted each year, 85
per cent of whom have already served a custodial sentence. Evaluation
reveals that some 60 per cent of those who complete the course
do not re-offend within two years. The cost for each participant
is a fraction of that for a custodial sentence.
The Project has now recently introduced a court
referral sentence for young offenders aged 14-16 years as part
of a supervision order with specified activities or an intermediate
treatment order. Furthermore, some 300 12-16 year old "at
risk" young people pass through the Project each year on
diversionary schemes.
THE
BURNLEY
DORDRECHT
INITATIVE—LANCASHIRE
CONSTABULARY
Based on an intensive supervision programme
in the Dutch town from which it takes its name, the Burnley Dordrecht
Initiative offers a Total Rehabilitation package for persistent
high volume offenders.
The Initiative has been established as a partnership
between the Lancashire Probation Service, Lancashire Constabulary
and the Burnley Borough Council. A steering group is formed by
a representative from each agency.
The funding of £100,000 has been obtained
through the Single Regeneration Budget. The project is to run
over an initial three year period, and is being evaluated by Professor
Ken Pease of the Holmfirth Criminology Group.
The target areas of the scheme are two specific
areas of Burnley known as Burnley Wood and South West Burnley.
These areas have a particularly high crime rate in comparison
to the locality and national figures. The main problem in the
area is offences of dwelling house burglary.
The qualifying criteria for the target group
on the scheme is that they have committed a minimum of six offences
in the past 12 months of liberty. At least one of these must be
a dwelling house burglary. They must also live or have committed
offences on the target areas.
Statistical analysis compiled over the period
1 January 1994 to 31 December 1996 shows that over 50 per cent
of all detected crime in the area is committed by 100 offenders.
The primary target group for the initiative consists of people
in this "top" 100.
The reporting requirements are intensive in
that they consist of a minimum of four contacts per week in the
first month, reducing to three contacts per week in months two
and three, and at least two contacts per week for the remainder
of the order. The contacts can be with the officers of the scheme,
or with any designated official agency as directed by the supervising
officers. A condition of compliance with the Dordrecht Initiative
is available as part of a Probation or Supervision order, or as
part of an early release licence from custody.
The scheme is staffed by one designated specialist
Probation officer, and one specialist Police officer. These are
both full time posts. Both agencies have provided back up officers
to cover periods of leave. A maximum of 20 offenders can be placed
on the scheme at any one time.
The Burnley Dordrecht Initiative is a unique
scheme in this country and has taken a ground breaking approach
in that the Probation and Police are working on a daily basis
in a practical partnership.
The scheme has now been running since the beginning
of July 1997, and is now fully operational.
There are currently three persons working in
the scheme who are at liberty and up to this point remain crime
free, which for them is a considerable achievement as two of the
three are in the top 30 offenders within the Division.
One of the three had been back to court for
one offence, of a minor nature, and the courts deemed it suitable
that they carried on with the scheme.
All three are working well in relation to the
reporting requirements which are set at four times per week, for
the first month.
The main thrust at this time with these persons
is to stabilise their chaotic lifestyle sufficiently so that work
can be started with them on educational training and work schemes.
One of them is undergoing training for dyslexia
and is responding well. There are 10 others who are currently
on the scheme and have been assessed and interviewed whilst in
custody. Five of these are awaiting sentence, at their respective
plea and direction hearings, where recommendations have been made
that they are given orders to adhere to the scheme through the
courts.
The other five are in various stages of serving
their respective custodial sentences and work has started with
one of these to prepare him for his release. This is considered
very important with him as he is most at risk when he is initially
released as going by his previous form he will resume his criminality
within 24 hours of his release. Negotiations are currently in
hand with his present prison through the Governor to start work
with him on his release on temporary licence, and an itinerary
has been forwarded to them to cover his release days during October
1997 prior to his completion of his term of imprisonment on 12
November 1997. This man was Burnley's top offender for the three
year sample period for burglary dwellings.
There are currently three persons who have expressed
a wish to come on the scheme via either the police officer dealing
with them or the current Probation Officer and they have as yet
to be formally interviewed.
One of them has been interviewed informally
in the police cells prior to him being remanded and he has agreed
to come onto the scheme. He is currently remanded for dwelling
burglary and is one of the top 20 burglars in Burnley. He has
spent 14 periods of imprisonment for various crimes during his
life and is now 30 years of age.
Eight of the above persons have been targeted
throughout by the Intelligence Unit at Burnley for their frequency
of crime.
The last man referred to was the subject of
a joint operation between the local Proactive CID, Colne CID and
Surveillance Unit.
DEVON
& CORNWALL
CONSTABULARY
Drug/Crime Link—Fast Track Programme
This drug referral scheme is being run in the
Plymouth and Torbay areas. Evaluation has been conducted by Plymouth
University, Department of Social Policy and Social Work, and titled:
"BREAKING THE DRUG/CRIME
LINK: A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE FAST TRACK PROGRAMME".
— The drug referral
scheme has about 55 per cent of its referrals directly from divisional
burglary squads, and is managed by Devon Probation Services and
the Community Drugs Service in both areas.
— From 1 October
1997, a similar scheme of drug referrals will be trialled in Cornwall
and managed by the Probation Service.
— Both schemes
are activated at the pre-sentence stage of a trial following conviction
and gives the presiding judge an option to divert the defendant
from imprisonment to rehabilitation and counselling if criteria
are met.
— Between 1 April
1997 and 21 September 1997, the Plymouth Drug fast track programme
received 106 referrals, and conducted 99 assessments and admitted
60 persons into the programme. the gender ration of assessed persons
being 6\5:1 men to women.
THE
SOUTH
CHESHIRE
DAT'S
COURT
SUPERVISED
DRUGS
REFERRAL
PROJECTINTRODUCTION
The foundations of this project are loosely
based upon a concept that was introduced in Miami in 1992. Prior
to the implementation of the scheme, Miami maintained the traditional
incarceration approach to dealing with drug addicts whose lifestyle
was predominantly supported through acquisitive crime.
Although the imprisonment of recidivist offenders
prevented them from committing further crime for the duration
of their sentence, their lifestyle was quickly renewed once released
back into the community. In an attempt to break this circle of
drugs related offending and imprisonment, Miami introduced an
innovative scheme which empowered a designated Court to impose
upon offenders who met a predetermined criteria, a structured
and closely supervised treatment programme as an alternative to
imprisonment.
The results of the programme are impressive.
Whereas an average of 60 per cent of addicts sentenced to a term
of imprisonment are re-arrested within a year of release, only
30 per cent of those offenders who had the support of the treatment
programme were found to re-offend within the same period. Apart
from the significant reduction in drugs related crime, the American
authorities quickly recognised the financial savings to be achieved
in establishing an effective drugs dependency treatment service
as a viable alternative to imprisonment.
HOW
THE
SCHEME
WILL
WORK
The pilot programme will be held in Ellesmere
Port and Chester and will only be available to offenders permanently
resident within that area.
The project objective is to target recidivist
offenders who commit crime of a less serious nature in order to
meet the needs of their drugs use. It is anticipated that the
offenders will be addicted to or a poly-user of one of the following
drugs, Heroin, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Injectable Amphetamine
or Methadone.
Offenders who meet the qualifying criteria for
the scheme could under normal circumstances be liable to a custodial
sentence. It is not intended that the project should accommodate
first time offenders, although sufficient flexibility will be
retained to consider the circumstances of individual cases, more
particularly those in which a drugs problem is identified and
there is a strong likelihood of the offender developing an involvement
in drugs related crime.
Those offenders who have used any form of violence
in the commission of an offence for which arrested, will not be
eligible for inclusion on the project. Generally, offenders committing
crime of an acquisitive nature under one of the following categories
or offenders in possession of any listed drug, for personal use,
are most likely to meet the project criteria: Shoplifting, Theft
of or from vehicles, Theft (Other) or Burglary (Non-dwelling or
commercial premises).
The availability of the Court supervised project
is not intended to influence the outcome of the police investigation
of the offences(s) for which the detainee has been arrested. The
decision to establish if an offender is suitable for the project
can only be made by the Court after consideration of the relevant
Probation report and with the voluntary consent of the offender.
Following charge, the detainee will be brought
before the Court at the first opportunity. At first appearance
the Court will determine, based upon the evidence and facts available,
as to whether the accused, who must admit to the charge(s), possesses
the potential to meet the criteria for inclusion on the project.
It will in all likelihood be necessary to adjourn the case, permitting
a short period of conditional bail requiring attendance at a Drugs
Dependency Unit, to enable an initial assessment to be made.
At the second appearance, the Court having considered
the evidence now available, will either agree to including the
accused on the scheme, attaching a Close Probation Order, with
strict conditions of attendance at the Drugs Unit and compliance
with a structured treatment programme or, if they consider the
accused to be unsuitable for inclusion on the project, the Court
will deal with the case by the application of other powers at
their disposal.
Additionally, the Order will require that the
Court be kept fully informed of the offender's progress and will
necessitate the appearance of the offender together with a probation
officer at frequent intervals. Offenders who re-offend during
the period of the Probation Order, or who abuse the project, will
be returned to the Court to enable a decision to be made, based
upon the available evidence, as to the continuation of the Order.
The Probation Service will at the first Court
appearance appoint a dedicated officer to work closely with the
offender and the Drugs Dependency Unit, both during the initial
period of assessment and throughout the period of any subsequent
Probation Treatment Order applied by the Court. Although the Probation
Order will be authorised for a period not exceeding one year,
the Court will have discretion to reduce it depending upon evidence
of the offender's progress and response to treatment.
The initial pilot project will be subject to
an independent evaluation through Manchester University.
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