Remodelled DTTOs for Lothian & Borders

Further pilot aims to deal with earlier stages of drug misuse

News, 3 January 2008

Details of a pilot of a new model of drug treatment and testing orders (DTTOs) to be tested in courts in the Lothians & Borders Community Justice Authority area were announced today.

The two-year pilot, expected to begin in the spring, will offer courts an effective option in dealing with offenders at an earlier stage in their drug misuse.

DTTOs are currently used with high tariff offenders who have a serious drugs misuse problem and who might otherwise be facing a custodial sentence. The underlying philosophy is that by addressing an offender's drug misuse it is possible to make a positive impact on their related offending behaviour.

Crucially they require the consent of the offender, who will typically have reached a stage in their life after a number of years of serious drugs misuse, when they wish to move on from such a lifestyle. Younger people more commonly are at a stage of experimenting with or still enjoying the drugs experience.

Minister for Community Safety Fergus Ewing said:

"The pilot, which will cover the majority of courts in the Lothians & Borders Community Justice Authority area, will test whether DTTOs can be successfully adapted to work with this different offender group.

"The challenge will be to ensure that the best features of DTTOs are maintained as part of any new model at the same time as extending the order to lower tariff offenders. The pilot will also allow the new justice [of the peace] courts to use this new form of DTTOs as a sentencing option in dealing with those offenders with drugs misuse issues."

The minister added that after six months on an order, an addict's expenditure on drugs decreased from an average of £490 per week pre-sentence to £57 per week.

"Despite having extensive prior criminal histories, almost half of those who complete their orders have no further convictions within two years. Even non-completers demonstrated reduced reconviction rates."

The Edinburgh DTTO scheme saw 99 DTTOs were imposed by the court in 2005-06 out of a Scottish total of 599 orders. In 2007 the scheme was one of two criminal justice social work projects which were successful in securing a Butler Trust award, an independent annual award scheme designed "to recognise exceptionally dedicated, and often creative work undertaken by prison staff and volunteers".