A THIRD of Edinburgh offenders given the opportunity to quit drugs as an alternative to going to prison end up breaching the order, new figures have revealed.
Justice leaders admit the rate of failed Drug Treatment and Testing Orders, which have been extended to lower level criminals as a pilot in the Lothians, is disappointing.
However, they are committed to pursuing them as a way of reducing the amoun
t of crime fuelled by the need to fund drug addictions. Around 90 people a year have been given DTTOs in Edinburgh since they were introduced in 2004-2005. Last year, 32 people breached them.
The Capital has a better record than most of Scotland, which has a breach rate of just under 50 per cent, although it trails Glasgow, where three quarters are successful.
Edinburgh also appears to be improving, with 40 orders issued between January and June this year, and just eight breached.
Its success recently convinced the Scottish Government to pilot a new £1 million scheme, which extends DTTOs to petty criminals, in Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian, and Borders.
The tough anti-drugs orders – similar to those used against rock star Pete Doherty – are generally handed to people whose offending is directly related to their drug addition, such as burglars who steal to fund their habit.
Such offenders are likely to be prolific, so helping them to quit can have a major impact on crime rates, while keeping them out of jail can also help keep down the country's already overcrowded prison population.
Councillor Paul Edie, the city's health and social care leader, said: "Drug Treatment Testing Orders offer an alternative to a prison sentence. Not only do they help people tackle their own drug misuse, but they also help to reduce crime that is committed as a direct result of drug addiction."
DTTOs last 18 months and offenders are regularly tested by an Edinburgh City Council and NHS Lothian partnership.
Breaches can result in a prison sentence, fine or the 18-month order starting again.
However, officials can also revoke it early if the person makes good progress. Officials tend to be lenient with offenders who naturally find it difficult to quit their addictions for 18 months without any relapse.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "DTTOs target high-tariff offenders who tend to lead chaotic lifestyles and aren't often used with those convicted of serious offences.
"While the high re-conviction rates are disappointing, we need to recognise that changing offending behaviour takes time, particularly for those whose offending is long standing and who continue to have addictions issues.
"As offenders progress through an order, their reliance on illicit drugs and associated criminal behaviour usually diminishes. For those who complete their DTTO, around half will not go on to re-offend.
"We have of course just started piloting the use of DTTOs with lower-tariff offenders. Given that these offenders will have less extensive criminal histories, it might be expected that re-conviction rates for this group will be lower than currently found with current DTTOs.
"It's important that the best features of DTTOs are maintained as part of any new model. If we are successful in our aim it will mean that this group of offenders will not graduate to more serious offending careers."
The full article contains 556 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
