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Arrest Referral Schemes

The pro-active arrest referral initiative is one of a series of criminal justice interventions that seek to identify problem drug-using offenders in the criminal justice system (CJS) and refer them to treatment. The idea is that a dedicated drugs worker, working in police custody cells, makes contact with drug using arrestees and refers them to appropriate treatment to address their drug use with the aim of reducing their drug related offending. Involvement with the scheme is voluntary and it is not an alternative to prosecution or due process. Being focused on the point of entry to the CJS, this initiative aims to identify and help problem drug-using offenders as early as possible.

Funds were provided from the CRP to establish and accelerate the development of these arrest referral schemes across England and Wales. The majority of arrest referral schemes became operational from April 1^st 2000 and by the end of April 2002, all Police Forces in England and Wales were operating arrest referral schemes, employing approximately 400 arrest referral workers.

Research to date

A three year evaluation programme was established to monitor arrest referral activity and to learn more about how to maximise the effectiveness of this initiative. In July 2002 an interim report, detailing the findings so far, was launched at the 2^nd National Arrest Referral Conference (full report can be found on www.drugs.gov.org). The evaluation programme commenced in 2000 and is due to be completed in summer 2003. There are two main elements to the research programme:

• A national monitoring system to collect basic epidemiological information on the number, characteristics and referral outcomes of problem drug-using offenders screened by arrest referral workers and

• A programme of area-based research and evaluation studies to provide an assessment of the behavioural outcomes of arrest referral and how these can be maximised.

The main findings are as follows:-

Reaching the target population

• Arrest referral schemes have been effective in targeting prolific problem drug-using offenders – a large percentage are opiate and crack users, injectors and prolific shoplifters. It is estimated that those screened by an arrest referral worker spend around £11,000 per year on illicit drugs. The vast majority have previous convictions.

• Over half of those screened by an arrest referral worker had never entered drug treatment services.

Getting drug using arrestees into treatment

• 48,810 individuals were screened between October 2000 and September 2001 in England and Wales of which over half (58%) were referred to specialist drug treatment service. Of these referred, a quarter (5,520) entered structured drug treatment services.

Reductions in offending and drug use

• Evidence from the evaluations suggests that the level of police re-arrest rates significantly declined six months after contact with an arrest referral worker, compared to the six months before contact. Two-thirds were arrested less often following referral than before.

• Arrestees who had seen an arrest referral worker reported substantial reductions in offending in the month before the follow up interview (typically six months after initial contact with a arrest referral worker), compared to the month prior to seeing the arrest referral worker. In one study, shoplifting declined by more than 50 per cent.

• There were also reductions in self-reported drug use. In London, the proportions using heroin and/or crack cocaine were halved. Amounts spent on drugs and levels of injecting also decreased.

Cost effectiveness

• Although details of a full economic analysis were not available at the time, preliminary analyses suggest that the economic and social benefits of the arrest referral initiative are around 4.4 billion over an eight year period.

Maximising Outcomes

• The evaluation report also describes the process and delivery of arrest referral schemes and presents recommendations as to how the full potential of such schemes can be maximised.

Future Research

The monitoring of arrest referral activity is ongoing. The next statistical update will be published early 2003.

Further reports from the national programme should be published throughout 2002/2003 including an outcomes and reconviction study; a treatment uptake and retention study; a re-arrest study and a full cost effectiveness evaluation.

Download the report Arrest Referral Monitoring Statistical Update in full PDF 80 Kb, from the Drugs website.

Last update: 25 May 2005