New service to reduce drug related crime

Written by: Essex Drug & Alcohol Action Team
Posted: 30/03/2010 09:44:24

A new service to reduce drug related crime by ensuring offenders get continuous care between prison and the community is being launched in Essex on 1st April 2010.                                                                                                                        

The Essex Drug & Alcohol Partnership (EDAP) has commissioned charity WDP (Westminster Drug Project) to deliver the Criminal Justice Interventions Service (CJIS). Bringing together two independently commissioned services, from the community and HM Prison Service, the new service is the first service of its kind in the country and will deliver targeted and quality interventions to drug related offenders, with services and interventions becoming available across the entire criminal justice system ensuring offenders get both the support and supervision they need to minimise their chances of relapsing and reoffending.

Donia Slyzuk, Strategic Manager, Essex Drug & Alcohol Action Team said:

"This new approach to delivery has the potential to inform national standards and guidelines from 2012 onwards. It brings a new continuity to breaking the cycle of crime and reducing victims by targeting drug-related offenders and tackling the causes of their offending.

The new service will redirect the lives of the most problematic drug users in Essex and improve the lives of their family and carers and the wider community, by reducing re-offending and increasing reintegration back into community."

Clive Emmett, Criminal Justice Interventions Service Manager, WDP said:

"CJIS will be more successful for the offender and the community because all partners in Essex, including police, probation and the prison services will be working together to ensure each person with a drug problem is supported with the right intervention at the right time to break the cycle of drug dependency and crime.

CJIS allows us to grip or contain disruptive behavior, to manage each case more robustly, and to share information with partners in real-time to pre-empt relapse."

Ewen Wilson, Superintendent, Essex Police said:

"Essex Police are very pleased to support the new service. We are keen that the service will proactively engage with those drug-related offenders in our community. One continuous service working across the entire criminal justice system will offer better engagement and ensure less drug-using offenders fall through the gaps."

For the first time in Essex the service will target and engage with drug related offenders from 16+ within a custody setting and Youth Offenders Institute in HMP Chelmsford, many of whom are vulnerable and could become further involved in substance misuse and criminal activity.

The service will be supported by a 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year single point of contact number (0808 1000 110) that will offer information and advice to drug using offenders and all professionals within the criminal justice system.

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Notes to Editor

The Essex Drug and Alcohol Partnership (EDAP) works with the communities of Essex to help reduce and prevent usage of illegal drugs and alcohol, minimise their harm, treat and rehabilitate users, reduce related offending and crime and thereby to make a significant contribution to community well being.

In April 2009 EDAP was awarded Drugs Systems Change Pilot status. The pilots have been launched to test new approaches to the problems caused by drug misuse. Within the two year pilot, freedoms and flexibilities can be requested, such as changes to targets, budgets and guidance that will allow innovative approaches to be tried; and that if successful will inform national strategy from 2012 onwards. The pilots are being overseen and commissioned jointly by a cross-government Management Board consisting of Home Office, Department of Health, Ministry of Justice, Cabinet Office, Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Communities and Local Government, Department for Children, Schools and Families and supported by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse.

One of the freedoms and flexibilities granted under Drug Systems Change Pilot has resulted in EDAP creating a new and innovative drug treatment system for drug related offenders in the criminal justice system. It brings together two independently commissioned services, Drug Intervention Project (DIP) which is the responsibility of the EDAP, and Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Through Care (CARAT) the responsibility of the National Offender Management Scheme (NOMS). 

EDAP have commissioned the Westminster Drugs Project (WDP), to provide the new Criminal Justice Interventions Service (CJIS). The new service builds on good practice, successes and lessons learnt from the Home Office’s Drugs Interventions Programme and is the next stage for delivering improved services to drug using offender in Essex. WDP have an established track record of delivering high quality services in Essex along with invaluable local knowledge.

WDP is a leading drug and alcohol treatment charity in London and the South East, working with thousands of people every year to overcome the harm caused by drug misuse to individuals and communities. For more information go to www.wdp-drugs.org.uk

For more information and advice on drugs and alcohol and the services available in Essex visit www.essexdrugaction.org

Last Updated on: 10/08/2010 12:19:20