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British Journal of Criminology Advance Access published online on October 30, 2006
British Journal of Criminology, doi:10.1093/bjc/azl087
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (ISTD). All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Article

Twisting Arms or a Helping Hand?: Assessing the Impact of ‘Coerced’ and Comparable ‘Voluntary’ Drug Treatment Options

Tim Mcsweeney 1 *, Alex Stevens 2, Neil Hunt 3, and Paul J. Turnbull 4

1 Institute for Criminal Policy Research, School of Law, King’s College London, Drury Lane, London
2 Senior Researcher, European Institute of Social Services, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent
3 Director of Research for KCA; Honorary Senior Research Associate at the European Institute of Social Services, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, University of Kent; Honorary Research Fellow with the Centre for Research on Drugs and Health Behaviour, London
4 Deputy Director, Institute for Criminal Policy Research, School of Law, King’s College London

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Tim Mcsweeney, E-mail: tim.mcsweeney{at}kcl.ac.uk


  Abstract

Despite the rapid expansion of options to coerce drug-dependent offenders into treatment--culminating recently in the provisions of the 2005 Drugs Act and the government’s ‘Tough Choices’ agenda--research findings to date are equivocal about their impact in reducing crime. This paper presents UK findings from a pan-European study on this issue. The results--at both national and international levels--reveal that court-mandated clients reported significant and sustained reductions in illicit drug use and offending behaviours, and improvements in other areas of social functioning. Those entering the same treatment services through non-criminal justice routes also reported similar reductions and improvements. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of recent policy developments.


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