LibDems call for ‘help, not jail’ on drugs
HEALTH treatments and not prison sentences are needed to tackle drug deaths, the Scottish LibDems have warned. The party obtained figures showing five times more people convicted of possession of drugs received jail sentences than were given a drug treatment order.
For three years up to 2019, there were 605 people convicted of possession without intent to supply sent to prison in the past three years.
Meanwhile, only 108 people received a Drug Treatment and Testing Order during the same threeyear period.
The LibDems want to divert people caught in possession of drugs for personal use into education, treatment and recovery, ending the use of imprisonment in these circumstances.
Their manifesto calls for drug and alcohol partnership budgets to be protected and enhanced, and for government to adopt the principle that individuals and families shouldn’t have to pay for the care and treatment of those at risk of death from drugs or alcohol.
LibDem leader Willie Rennie said: “The same number of people are being imprisoned for personal possession as a decade ago. The police have spoken about having a sense of hopelessness and helplessness when they see people being sent to prison because they know this doesn’t help save lives.
“We need to target the dealers and get vulnerable people into treatment, not prison.”
SNP Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “The low use of the Community Payback Order drug treatment requirement does not mean that individuals with substance misuse problems are not having these needs addressed.
“Community Payback Order annual reports, provided by local authorities, highlight that issues such as alcohol, drugs and mental health are often addressed under the supervision requirement of a CPO. This was echoed by the evaluation of Community Payback Orders, carried out in 2015.
“Both the evaluation and the annual reports noted that using the supervision requirement in this way is especially helpful for those individuals who need support but do not meet the specific criteria of the treatment requirements.”
Heroin was the drug most people were convicted for being in possession of.
In 2018/19, there were 112 people jailed for possession of heroin without intent to supply, compared to 25 given a Drug Treatment Order.
There were 120 Community Payback Orders issued and 453 were given a fine. Another 326 were given another form of sentence.
There were 29 jail sentences issued for cocaine possession compared to eight Drug Treatment Orders and 92 Community Payback Orders. Another 565 were issued with a fine.
There were 33 jail sentences for cannabis possession.