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This report gave interim findings from the continuing evaluation of the DPI criminal justice projects being conducted by the Criminal Policy Research Unit at South Bank University. The report focuses on the arrest referral components of the DPI criminal justice drugs intervention demonstration projects in South London and Derby, and on the Get it While You Can arrest referral project in Brighton.

Title: Arrest Referral: Emerging Lessons From Research
Author: Mark Edmunds, Tiggey May, Ian Hearnden, & Michael Hough
Series: DPI Paper No.23
Number of pages:
Date published: 

DPI Paper No.23 by Mark Edmunds, Tiggey May, Ian Hearnden, & Michael Hough, Criminal Policy Research Unit, South Bank University (1998).

This paper reported on evaluations of arrest referral schemes in Brighton, Derby and Southwark. The schemes were all demonstration projects under the Home Office Drugs Prevention Initiative. The Brighton study was financed through DAT Challenge funds and the other two formed part of a larger evaluation for the Home Office which is assessing a series of demonstration projects in Derby, Salford and South London. In the course of the two studies a large amount of information was gathered about:

• The size of the problem drug using population.

• The costs associated with problem drug use.

• Types of referral scheme.

• The impact of these schemes.

Key points

The study provided good evidence that arrest referral schemes can be effective in reducing drug use and drug-related crime. The schemes are designed to put problem drug users in touch with treatment agencies following arrest. When they are successful, they draw forward in time the reduction and cessation of drug use which inevitably will occur at some stage in drug users’ careers. On the basis of the team’s experience in evaluating these three schemes and others which have achieved less success, they regarded the essential ingredients of referral schemes as:

• A proactive mode of work.

• A working style which wins the respect and trust of users.

• Adequate resourcing.

• A capacity to provide ongoing support.

• Appropriate treatment services to which to refer.

• Adequately resourced treatment services to which to refer.

Getting a copy

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