Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to support the rehabilitation of offenders with drug or alcohol dependencies.

Sustained engagement in treatment and recovery is essential to tackling the underlying causes of offending. We work closely with health partners to refer offenders into treatment as early as possible and support ongoing engagement.

We are committed to diverting offenders with drug or alcohol needs away from custody and into community-based support where appropriate. This includes strengthening the use of Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs) and Alcohol Treatment Requirements (ATRs) as part of community sentences which aim to tackle the causes of offending behaviour through structured treatment. Health and Justice Partnership Coordinators have been recruited across all probation regions in England and Wales to strengthen links between treatment providers and probation. We are also expanding the Intensive Supervision Courts from four to eleven. This problem-solving approach offers wrap around support, treatment and judicial oversight, enabling offenders to remain in the community while tackling the root causes of their offending, such as drug or alcohol misuse.

For those where a prison sentence is appropriate, we need to make prison a place that reforms offenders and provides opportunities for recovery. We have funded Incentivised Substance Free Living Units in 88 prisons where prisoners agree to be regularly drug tested and can access enhanced opportunities and have funded Drug Strategy Leads to ensure local drug strategies are effectively implemented. We are also increasing access to mutual aid groups across the estate, such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.

We recognise that the first few weeks after leaving prison are a high-risk for relapse, overdose and reoffending. To support prison leavers to continue their recovery journey in the community, we are strengthening links between prisons, probation, and treatment providers, improving information sharing between treatment providers and probation and enabling virtual pre-release appointments with community treatment via secure laptops.