Youth
New services to tackle Drug Crime by Young People
The Home Office is to focus upon a new Government drive to get young people, who commit crime to fund drug habits, to quit drug use and offending behaviour at an early age.
Arrest Referral Schemes
Arrest referral schemes, which target drug-using offenders in custody, provide advice and treatment services. New plans are to extend the schemes to under-18s in 10 pilot areas. The scheme is currently only available nationally for drug using offenders over the age of 18.
The scheme will be piloted from December 2003 in:
Bradford
Calderdale
Camden
Hull
Liverpool
Manchester
Middlesbrough
Newham
Nottingham
Southwark
Early intervention is the definitive key if the downward spiral of drugs and crime is to be cracked. This contribution helps young people before they enter the crime cycle. Young people with drug problems need services tailored to suit their needs and issues that contribute toward their drug addiction.
People involved in the pilots will be referred into a range of services, from early intervention and prevention programmes to treatment, depending on their individual needs.
Arrest Referral for young people is just 1 part of a comprehensive package included in a £447 million government investment over 3 years. This funds the Criminal Justice Interventions Programme, which identifies drug addicts committing crimes to fund their habits at every stage of the criminal justice system. Offenders are guided into appropriate treatment, and later resettled back into society through a unique 'through care' and 'after care' programme.
The 30 original Arrest Referral Scheme areas, including the 10 that will pilot the young people's services, began using the programme in April 2003. The addition of the youth targeting will hopefully tackle the root of many youth community culture problems.
Last update: 06/11/03