Young people in coerced drug treatment : does the UK Drug Intervention Programme provide a useful and effective service to young offenders?

Although clear relationships have been identified between dependent drug use and crime, the relationship is less evident in young offenders, particularly for less physically dependent users. This study investigated a sample of young drug-using offenders (aged 18-24; n = 36) accessing drug treatment through the criminal justice system in Birmingham, UK, using structured interviews for the collection of both qualitative and quantitative data. It identified high levels of heroin dependence, with frequency of use linked to both acquisitive crime and willingness to engage in treatment. The relationship between crack cocaine use and offending was less clear with more client ambivalence regarding desire to stop using the drug. Whilst most praised their treatment, and their workers, substitute prescribing was less positively endorsed. The study offers some support for diverting young dependent opiate users from criminal justice services into drug treatment, but presents a less positive prognosis for primary stimulant users.