Radical addiction treatment cuts reoffending

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by Change | 23 Feb 2009

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Police in Glasgow are giving repeat offenders a stark choice of going to a rehabilitation clinic or face being scrutinised by officers.

A new approach to treating addiction among offenders in Scotland has helped to cut reoffending rates by almost a third.

Figures revealed by the Glasgow Herald have suggested that a scheme offering offenders the chance to sign up to addiction treatment at rehab clinics instead of facing a prison stay has helped to reduce reoffending among some of Glasgow's most prolific criminals by 28.5 per cent.

After running for just one year, the Prolific Offender Programme (POP) has signed up 73 criminals and reduces the risk of those on the programme being targeted by police.

"If people do not engage with it, we let them know that they are on our radar and that we will be keeping an eye on them. Once they are on the project, we would not overlook anything but we would inform the fiscal that they are engaging with POP," explained inspector Gavin Smith of Strathclyde Police.

Last week, a commentator in the Independent called for more work to be done by rehab clinics to prevent drug addicts turning to crime.

Johann Hari said rehab clinics should offer methadone prescriptions for people with chronic heroin addiction to reduce the chance of them committing crimes.

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