This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Verdict on Glasgow Drug Court
11/11/2002
A report on the first six months of a pilot Scottish
Drug Court shows this initiative has largely been a
success.
The Scottish Drug Court, established at Glasgow Sheriff
Court in October 2001, aims to reduce drug misuse and
associated offending by offering treatment based options
outside the traditional court setting.
The report is published ahead of the first anniversary
of the first sitting of the Court on Tuesday, November
12.
It is the first stage of a two-year evaluation of the
effectiveness of the Glasgow Drug Court in reducing the
level of drug-related offending behaviour, and reducing or
eliminating an offenders' tendency to use drugs.
In addition to identifying positive aspects of the Drug
Court, the evaluation enables any teething problems to be
identified and addressed.
Key findings include:
- The role of the Drug Court Sheriffs has been
critical to the success of the Court
- The dedicated Drug Court Team and resources are
viewed as a positive contribution to the reduction of
drug-related offences in Glasgow
- Certain operational teething problems have been
identified (including workload of Drug Court staff)
allowing them to be addressed, minimising any impact on
the future operation of the Drug Court.
Speaking in response to the report, Deputy Justice
Minister Richard Simpson said:
"The results of the evaluation are encouraging. The
Glasgow pilot Drug Court has had a positive impact in
tackling drug related crime in the city. Offenders have
been successfully directed towards treatment programmes
which has encouraged them to break the cycle of crime and
drug dependency."
The introduction of the new Drug Court followed the
report of a Working Group which concluded in May 2001 that
the establishment of a Drug Court in Glasgow was feasible
within existing legislation.
In October 2001, Scotland's first Drug Court was
established in Glasgow Sheriff Court, operating under
summary proceedings.
The objectives of the new Drug Court are to:
- reduce the level of drug-related offending
behaviour
- reduce or eliminate offenders' dependence on or
tendency to use drugs
- examine the viability and usefulness of a Drug
Court in Scotland using existing legislation.
The Drug Court targets males and females over the age of
21, with an established link between a pattern of serious
drug misuse and offending, and whose drug misuse is
receptive to treatment.
Offenders referred to the Drug Court must otherwise have
been facing prosecution in the Sheriff Summary Court and
should normally first appear before the Summary Court from
custody.
The Criminal Justice Bill will seek provision to enable
a drug court to impose intermediate sanctions such as a
short period of imprisonment or detention whilst allowing
the conditions of an offenders Drug Treatment and Testing
Order to continue.
The research report
The Glasgow Drug Court in Action: The First Six Months,
is published by Scottish Executive Social Research, and is
available from:
The Stationary Office Bookshop
71 Lothian Road
Edinburgh