Criminals get rehab instead of court
CRIMINALS will have charges against them dropped if they agree to undertake alcohol or drug rehabilitation under plans being considered by the Government to tackle racial bias in the justice system.
David Lidington, the Justice Secretary, is in talks with the Mayor of London to extend a pilot scheme which would allow those accused of low-level crimes to get treatment rather than go to court.
The plan formed part of a comprehensive review by David Lammy, the Labour MP, about the way black and minority ethnic people are treated by the criminal justice system. Mr Lidington confirmed the Government was looking at the 35 recommendations made by Mr Lammy in a bid to improve the treatment of BAME people.
Under the scheme – Operation Turning Point – instead of entering a plea in court, those facing charges for low-level crimes would receive targeted rehabilitation such as drug or alcohol treatment.
Those accused of serious crimes would not be allowed to take part, and it would be open to white people as well as those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds as long as they had no more than one previous conviction. Those who complete the programme would see the prosecution dropped, while those who failed to comply would face criminal proceedings.
The scheme aims to help people avoid getting a damaging criminal record which could hold them back in later life and to offset the impact of an over-representation of black men and women in prison. Figures show 25 per cent of prisoners in the UK are black, despite making up just 14 per cent of the population, and problems with stop and search and drug profiling have been identified across the country.
Mr Lidington said: “This is the very first step in a change of attitude towards race disparity that will touch on every part of the criminal justice system for years to come.”
Mr Lammy’s review concluded that BAME individuals “still face bias, including overt discrimination, in parts of the justice system” and warned of a “chronic trust deficit”.
He said: “They see the system in terms of ‘them and us. Many do not trust the promises made to them by their own solicitors, let alone officers in a police station warning them to admit guilt. What begins as a ‘no comment’ interview can quickly become a crown court trial.”
The review called for the introduction of the scheme piloted in the West Midlands, which found violent offenders dealt with by deferred prosecution were 35 per cent less likely to reoffend, as well as resulting in higher levels of satisfaction among victims.
The pilot also saved money for the taxpayer because of the number of cases which did not go to court, saving around £1,000 per case.
Ministers are keen to implement the scheme but want to make sure there is enough evidence to show it works before they commit to rolling it out across the country.
The London pilot scheme is likely to include a couple of boroughs initially.
The Ministry of Justice will publish the Government’s response to the review in full today.