01 April 2008
Jack Straw has confirmed that drug courts, dedicated to tackling drug misuse and related crime, are to be extended to up to four more magistrates' courts.
He was speaking as an evaluation report was published showing that the drug court model is effective at cutting reoffending rates. Two drugs courts, at West London and Leeds Magistrates' Courts, are already in operation, dealing with offenders who commit acquisitive crime to fund their drug addiction. The model encourages closer working across agencies and treatment providers, and introduces continuity of judiciary.
When an offender is found guilty and is referred to the dedicated drug court for sentence, the same magistrates or district judge will sentence the offender and review the progress of offenders on community orders with a drug rehabilitation requirement. As well as these reviews, offenders will be required to undergo regular drug tests. Wherever possible the same magistrates or district judge will deal with any breaches and resentence if necessary, considering all the options including custody.
The decision to expand the pilot scheme comes as a result of an evaluation of the two existing drugs courts, published today. The evaluation indicated that drugs courts can have a positive impact on:
- reconviction rates
- attendance
- compliance
Visiting one of the existing dedicated drug court pilots in Hammersmith, west London, Jack Straw said:
'The evaluation published today shows that drug courts work in terms of cutting reoffending. It shows that having the same district judges or magistrates panel supervise the offender's progress has a statistically significant impact on several drug court outcomes, with a lower likelihood of missed court appearances, a higher likelihood of sentence completion and crucially for the public, a lower likelihood of reconviction. As a result of these successful pilots, I have asked HMCS to establish up to four more drugs courts.
'Crucial to the success of drug courts is the element of continuity - offenders become used to seeing familiar faces on the bench in court. If we think about it, the importance of continuity is pretty fundamental to all relationships, professional as well as personal. Knowing who you are dealing with, and will continue to deal with, sustains confidence in almost any situation, but is especially important where the individuals concerned come from chaotic backgrounds where continuity and stability have been lacking. It is working in this crucial setting and I pay tribute to all involved in the projects.'
Notes to editors
1. The evaluation into the two existing drugs courts is available on the Ministry of Justice website.
2. Any further media enquiries on this press release should be directed to Ministry of Justice Press Office Newsdesk on 020 7210 8822 or Becky Dearden on 020 7210 8643.