Calls to meaningfully support people with alcohol problems in Scotland’s justice system are being made to mark Recovery Month, to reduce the burden of alcohol on the people affected, on their families and on the justice system itself.
Doctors’ group Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) is leading calls for the Scottish Government to act to better support people in the criminal justice system with alcohol problems – from initial police contact, courts, community justice and through to prison – as people in the system are much more likely to have an alcohol use disorder than in the Scottish population as a whole. Proactively taking the opportunity to meet the needs of people with alcohol problems in the justice system would not only improve the health and lives of people affected and reduce the inequalities they experience but would potentially reduce reoffending, thus relieving pressure on courts and prisons.
Based on expert input from a working group of organisations operating in the justice sector, SHAAP has today written to the Cabinet Secretaries for Justice and for Health to make the case for:
- Developing “standards” for each step of the justice journey starting with initial police contact so that people with alcohol problems are identified and person-centred, trauma-informed support is then put in place;
- The Scottish Government and national and local partners being held to account for delivery of services and support against these standards.
Specifics that SHAAP would like to see are:
- When in police custody, people identified as likely having alcohol use disorder are referred to healthcare or alcohol treatment services
- Expansion of Alcohol Courts so that people with alcohol use disorder are supported to engage with alcohol treatment services
- Expanded use of alcohol treatment orders as part of community sentences, based on input from justice social work
- In addition to being managed through detox as currently happens, people with alcohol dependence have access to recovery communities and if necessary, receive mental health and/or alcohol treatment, with plans put in place for liberation to prevent relapse and support engagement with community services and recovery communities
Dr Lesley Graham, SHAAP steering group member and former public health doctor, said:
“While it’s well-known that people with alcohol problems are hugely over-represented in the justice system, more could be done to support people in relation to their alcohol problem and to reduce the significant inequalities people in this situation face. We have found that while there is already much policy and guidance that can be used to provide support and treatment for people with alcohol problems, there are significant gaps in implementation. This is understandable given the strain our health and justice systems are currently under but if time was invested in providing the right kind of support for people with alcohol problems earlier in their journey, not only is it likely to reduce reoffending but it would improve the health of people with alcohol problems.”
Lisa Millar, Prison and Healthcare Recovery Officer for Scottish Recovery Consortium and member of the expert working group, said:
“A set of person-centred and recovery-focused standards of support and care for people with alcohol use disorder would offer the treatment and recovery opportunities needed for people to connect with all the types of support they may need to get help with their problematic alcohol use, and potentially reframe their involvement with the justice system.
“Speaking from my own experience, it is key that lived experience recovery organisations are involved in every stage of the justice journey, from first contact with the police to throughcare and liberation. This connection with a community of people who had similar experiences to mine provided non-judgemental support and hope and most importantly empowered me to make positive choices to focus on my recovery.
“I was fortunate to have support from my family and local recovery community from the time of my arrest, to prison then liberation but that is not everyone’s experience. The standards of care we are proposing today would ensure everyone with alcohol use disorder in our justice system is supported to find the recovery pathway that works for them. This will benefit the individual, their families and wider society as a whole.”
Dr Graham concluded:
“Working with the police, third sector community justice providers and justice social work, and learning from the courts system and from the prison service has revealed how big an opportunity there is to make a hugely positive difference to the lives of people with alcohol problems caught up in the justice system. Our call would result in a step change in the health and wellbeing of people with alcohol problems, in line with the Scottish Government’s own public health approach to justice, so I do hope that the Scottish Government uses this Recovery Month as an opportunity to respond positively and take action.”
Read the report here: Alcohol (in)Justice