14 - Assisted Desistance and Treatment Needs

Summary

INTRODUCTION

This chapter discusses treatment needs of arrestees and treatment methods provided for drug misuse. In particular, it looks at treatment offered by traditional programs aimed at drug users who voluntarily present themselves and treatment offered through court orders or other criminal justice processes whereby treatment for drug misuse as part of the disposal. The former is sometimes referred to as ‘voluntary’ treatment in that they are based on self-referral. The latter is sometimes described as ‘coercive treatment’ in that they are based on referral to treatment by the criminal justice system.

One of the central platforms of the government's drug strategy is to tackle drug misuse and drug-related crime through treatment provision. To be effective, the strategy needs to encourage users who have not sought treatment to enter into treatment. It also needs to satisfy the demand for treatment of users who have sought treatment. It is also important that drug users enter into treatment programs that have been shown in the past to reduce drug misuse or drug-related crime. This chapter reviews the literature on the type of treatment services available and user demand for these services. It then looks at the level of demand for treatment among drug-using arrestees and the extent to which this demand is met.