Offenders with drug and alcohol problems are being put back on
the straight and narrow through a new US-inspired sentencing
approach to cut reoffending.
A pilot of ‘Intensive Supervision Courts’ launched last year in
Liverpool, Teesside and Birmingham courts, as part of a tough
community sentencing approach to tackle the root causes of
offenders’ behaviour and protect the public.
Since the launch in June 2023, over 55 offenders have been
ordered to meet regularly with the same judge, engage with
specialist treatment and been subject to enhanced supervision
including random drug testing from the Probation Service. The
order could also include an electronic tag to monitor compliance
and track their every move.
Studies show that getting offenders to confront their addiction
through specialist support helps drive down their chance of
committing further crimes. Research from several countries
suggests that on average a ‘problem-solving’ approach resulted in
a 33% decrease in the rate of arrests compared to offenders who
receive standard sentences.
Offenders who fail to comply with the order face tough sanctions
such as being temporarily sent to prison or increased drug
testing.
The Lord Chancellor, KC, visited Liverpool Crown
Court yesterday (22 February 2024) to see the substance misuse
court in action.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, KC, said:
These courts are addressing the drug and alcohol-related crimes
which blight our communities by getting offenders to confront
their addictions.
Offenders are being punished for their crime, but these tough
community sentences are also working to ensure they don’t offend
again.
The Lord Chancellor’s visit to Liverpool follows his trip to New
York last month where he saw how problem-solving courts in the
United States are working.
At the courts in Manhattan and Brooklyn, the Lord Chancellor met
with judges and learned more about the evidence behind the
problem-solving approach. A US study on the long-term effect of a
similar court saw 25% fewer drug charges over a 15-year period
and these American courts provided inspiration for the pilot in
England.
In Liverpool, the Lord Chancellor met ‘Liam’ (not his real name)
who was sentenced to this order after being found guilty
of an offence driven by his addiction.
Offender Liam said:
This is the only sentence that’s actually given me a chance, for
the first time in my life I have had clean drug tests. You can
just tell the team here really want you to do well which makes a
difference.
The initiative at Liverpool and Teesside Crown Courts are focused
on offenders whose addictions are driving their criminality and a
further court is being piloted at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court
specifically supporting female offenders.
Charity Revolving Doors said:
CFE Research, Revolving Doors and Institute for Lifecourse
Development at the University of Greenwich are proud to be
undertaking a ground-breaking study of the piloting of this
approach for the UK.
The evaluation provides an important opportunity to add to the
evidence base on approaches to addressing offending behaviour
that is driven by unmet health and social needs.
Further information
- Please note that the data relating to how many offenders have
been sentenced through the pilot is based on administrative data
which may not be complete and is subject to change.
- Kearley, B. & Gottfredson, D. (2020). Long term effects
of drug court participation: Evidence from a 15-year follow-up of
a randomised controlled trial. Journal of Experimental
Criminology, 16, 27-47.
- Trood, M., Spivak, B., & Ogloff, J. (2021). A systematic
review and meta-analysis of the effects of judicial supervision
on recidivism and well-being factors of criminal offenders.
Journal Of Criminal Justice, 74, 101796.
