Tough drug courts to help users get clean

DRUG abusers who appear before new “problem-solving courts” will have to tackle their addictions or face tough consequences.

Offenders will see the same judge at least once a month and be given “intense” support to kick their habits in a £8.25million pilot scheme.

The Government is concerned that more people die each year from drug misuse than from all knife crime and road traffic accidents combined, at a cost to society of nearly £22billion.

Addicts who go through the courts system will be able to get help with housing and education, and support from substance misuse specialists.

They will be offered a full range of treatments to help them achieve “abstinence”. But they will face jail time if they refuse to stick with the terms of their sentence.

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said: “Getting criminal offenders

sustainably off drugs is the gateway to getting them into work and a law-abiding future.”

He added: “Only once offenders are drug-free can they grasp the opportunities of skills training and employment, and turn their backs on crime for good.

“So these innovative courts will help us grasp the nettle of drug addiction and make streets safer.”

Judges and magistrates will be able to relax conditions if people

demonstrate good progress but also issue sanctions if they fail to meet the required standards. Offenders can be jailed for up to 28 days, up to a maximum of three times.

The first problem-solving courts are being piloted in Liverpool and Teesside Crown Courts. One at Birmingham Magistrates Court will focus on female offenders.

The Government is considering launching a further two courts.

Teesside and Merseyside are considered to have “high levels of need” when it comes the war on drugs.

The North East had the highest rate of deaths linked to drug misuse across England and Wales in 2020 – 104.6 deaths per million people compared to the national rate of 52.3 deaths.

The launch of the pilot, part of the Government’s £900million drug strategy, follows an earlier initiative focused on women offenders.

Maria – not her real name – received an 18-month suspended sentence order and was required to attend the Greater Manchester women’s problem-solving court.

She said: “At first, I was worried about being judged but it’s not like that – sentencers are supportive and want to keep you on the right path. You have to want to change.

“But after you’ve made that decision it’s incredibly hard to do it on your own and that’s why things like probation and the problemsolving court are so important, to keep you from slipping back.”