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7. Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (Chart 22 and 24, Tables 7.1 to 7.6)
7.1 Paragraph 15.12 in the annex provides further information on the availability of DTTOs to sheriff courts across Scotland in 2006-07. A total of 696 DTTOs and 1,485 DTTO Assessments were made in 2006-07, up 16 per cent and 13 per cent respectively from the 2005-06 figures. The incidence of DTTOs was 1.9 per 10,000 population.
7.2 Male offenders accounted for 82 per cent of DTTOs and the incidence of DTTOs was highest amongst 26 to 30 year olds (7.8 per 10,000 population) and 21 to 25 year olds (6.2 per 10,000 population). Half of all females and 31 per cent of males receiving DTTOs were aged 25 or under. Thirty-four per cent of males and 21 per cent of females receiving DTTOs were aged over 30 years.
Chart 22: Drug Treatment and Testing Orders by Age and Gender of Offender, 2004-05 to 2006-07
Orders per 10,000 population
7.3 DTTOs were most likely to be 18 months in length (52 per cent) or 24 months (26 per cent). Males were more likely to receive a DTTO of less than 18 months (22 per cent) than females (14 per cent). Only two per cent of DTTOs were for lengths of greater than 24 months, a slight decrease from 3 per cent in 2005-06. The average length of a DTTO in 2005-06 was 19 months and this was similar for both males (19 months) and females (20 months).
7.4 Ninety-two per cent of DTTOs were imposed on offenders who were unemployed or not seeking employment, an increase of 30 percentage points from 62 per cent in 2005-06. A significantly lower percentage (5 per cent) were recorded under 'other' in 2006-07 than in 2005-06 (37 per cent) as all local authorities were able to provide an employment breakdown this year.
Breach Applications of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders
7.5 There were 318 breach applications made to the Courts in 2006-07 in respect of DTTOs, an increase of 37 per cent from 233 in 2005-06. Males accounted for 78 per cent of these applications. The number of breach applications is not directly comparable with the number of orders previously provided (which covers new orders only) as some breach applications may relate to orders started in the previous year. However, considering the lengths of orders started since 2004-05, allows a rough estimate to be made of the number of orders running during the year. This gives an estimated total of 1,200 DTTOs running in 2006-07 suggesting approximately one in four orders results in a breach application.
7.6 Just over one third of breach applications resulted in the original order being revoked and a custodial sentence imposed, a slight increase from 32 per cent 2005-06. Two per cent resulted in the order being revoked and a new DTTO imposed whilst a further 20 per cent resulted in the original order being revoked and some other action taken. In 1 per cent of applications, the DTTO was continued and varied and in less than one per cent it was continued with a monetary penalty. A further 14 per cent resulted in the original order being continued and no further action taken by the court, a decrease from 25 per cent in 2005-06. The outcome was not yet known in 11 per cent of applications.
Chart 23: DTTO Breach Applications by Outcome, 2004-05 to 2006-07
Terminations of DTTOs
7.7 A total of 550 DTTOs were terminated in 2005-06, an increase of 18 per cent on the 465 terminations in 2005-06. Thirty-eight per cent were successfully completed, 14 per cent were revoked following a review and thirty-eight per cent of orders were terminated following a breach application (up from 33 per cent in 2005-06). The remainder were terminated for other reasons (including transfer out of the area and death).
Chart 24: DTTO Terminations by Outcome, 2004-05 to 2006-07
1. Other includes transfer out of area and death.
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