Twisting arms or a helping hand?: assessing the impact of 'coerced' and comparable 'voluntary' drug treatment options

Despite the rapid expansion of options to coerce drug-dependent offenders into treatment - culminating recently in the provisions of the 2005 Drugs Act and the government's Tough Choices' agenda - research findings to date are equivocal about their impact in reducing crime. This paper pres...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:  
Detalles Bibliográficos
Otros Autores: McSweeney, Tim (Otro) ; Stevens, Alex (Otro) ; Hunt, Neil (Otro) ; Turnbull, Paul J. (Otro)
Tipo de documento: Print Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2007
En: The British journal of criminology
Año: 2007, Volumen: 47, Número: 3, Páginas: 470-490
Verificar disponibilidad: HBZ Gateway
Palabras clave:
Drogentherapie
Drogentäter
Zwang
Freiwilligkeit
Auswirkungen
Rückfälligkeit
Descripción
Sumario:Despite the rapid expansion of options to coerce drug-dependent offenders into treatment - culminating recently in the provisions of the 2005 Drugs Act and the government's Tough Choices' agenda - research findings to date are equivocal about their impact in reducing crime. This paper presents UK findings from a pan-European study on this issue. The results - at both national and international levels - reveal that court-mandated clients reported significant and sustained reductions in illicit drug use and offending behaviours, and improvements in other areas of social functioning. Those entering the same treatment services through non-criminal justice routes also reported similar reductions and improvements. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of recent policy developments
ISSN:0007-0955