Government to overhaul drug policy to focus on getting users healthcare
The government will announce a new drugs strategy on Monday overhauling the drug recovery and treatment system, the BBC has learned. The announcement is expected to pledge £700m over three years to tackle problem drug use. Measures will include a large focus on diversion, a tactic designed to remove drug users from the criminal justice system and get them into healthcare. Ministers are also set to announce investment to tackle drug gangs.
The overhaul has been drawn together by at least six government departments, the BBC understands. It will form part of a wider week of law and order announcements for the government, which a source involved in the drug strategy said had frustrated some of those who worked on it - who wanted to make clear these measures would lead to fewer crime-focused drug policies. The government has been asked to comment.
The diversion strategy is expected to be twofold - short prison sentences for drug use will be largely replaced with court orders putting users into recovery programmes and there will be less emphasis on prosecuting people caught with substances.
In Scotland, prosecutors can refer people accused of drugs offences for "diversion" and their Lord Advocate said people caught with Class A drugs could be given a police warning instead of facing prosecution - a move the Conservatives had previously said amounted to "de facto decriminalisation."
'Chronic health condition'
In his party conference speech, Boris Johnson accused Labour of "decriminalising" hard drugs after the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Scotland's decision was "probably the right thing to do" but was an "independent decision."
It is understood there will also be more emphasis in the strategy on helping drug users leaving prison to find work and safe housing. The Times newspaper has reported drug treatment courses could be offered to those whose offending was fuelled by drugs, giving people the option of changing their behaviour or facing tougher punishments.
One source heavily involved in forming the review told the BBC "ministers have now accepted this [problem drug use] is a chronic health condition". However, they added that because of concerns over how that would be viewed by the public and Conservative voters, it was unlikely the government would want it to be the focus of the announcement. The Home Office have been asked to comment.
As well as an overhauling of drug treatment plans, ministers are expected to outline more investment to tackle county lines drug gangs - urban drug dealers who sell to customers in more rural areas via dedicated phone lines.
The strategy has been drawn up as a response to the Dame Carol Black review of drugs, which reported in the summer and made 32 recommendations. The BBC understands the government has accepted at least 31 of these. The Times also reported the government was seeking to amend its Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to give judges extra powers to order drug testing of anyone serving a community sentence. It said drug testing could be required on arrest for all crimes, and the government could outline plans to use drug dealers' phones to identify and support addicts - and warn people they were not anonymous when buying drugs.
The BBC has been told there will be no announcements on heroin-assisted treatment or drug consumption rooms. Politicians in Scotland have been pushing for the latter to be introduced but a source involved in forming the drugs strategy said Number 10 and the Home Office were "very against" them and a move in that direction may have needed a change to the Misuse of Drugs Act. Both departments have been asked to comment.
Those drawing up the drug strategy were instructed to find ways of introducing new policies without having to make major change to legislation. It's also understood there will likely be no specific funding in this strategy for prisons to replace methadone with "abstinence-based rehab", a plan reported by The Telegraph newspaper earlier this week. However, Dominic Raab, the justice secretary, is expected to publish a separate strategy on problem drug use in prisons in a government White Paper.
A government source told the BBC this would allow governors in prison to be more empowered to take action against drug use. The Times reported it could also involve further "airport-style" security in prisons for visitors and staff to prevent drug smuggling.
As well as an overhauling of drug treatment plans, ministers are expected to outline more investment to tackle county lines drug gangs - urban drug dealers who sell to customers in more rural areas via dedicated phone lines.
The strategy has been drawn up as a response to the Dame Carol Black review of drugs, which reported in the summer and made 32 recommendations. The BBC understands the government has accepted at least 31 of these. The Times also reported the government was seeking to amend its Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to give judges extra powers to order drug testing of anyone serving a community sentence. It said drug testing could be required on arrest for all crimes, and the government could outline plans to use drug dealers' phones to identify and support addicts - and warn people they were not anonymous when buying drugs.
The BBC has been told there will be no announcements on heroin-assisted treatment or drug consumption rooms. Politicians in Scotland have been pushing for the latter to be introduced but a source involved in forming the drugs strategy said Number 10 and the Home Office were "very against" them and a move in that direction may have needed a change to the Misuse of Drugs Act. Both departments have been asked to comment.
Those drawing up the drug strategy were instructed to find ways of introducing new policies without having to make major change to legislation. It's also understood there will likely be no specific funding in this strategy for prisons to replace methadone with "abstinence-based rehab", a plan reported by The Telegraph newspaper earlier this week. However, Dominic Raab, the justice secretary, is expected to publish a separate strategy on problem drug use in prisons in a government White Paper.
A government source told the BBC this would allow governors in prison to be more empowered to take action against drug use. The Times reported it could also involve further "airport-style" security in prisons for visitors and staff to prevent drug smuggling.
Whether you see drug addiction as a criminal justice issue or a medical and healthcare issue makes very little difference as long as you leave drugs in the control of the Black Market.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the general public would think if we outlawed alcohol but prosecuted or treated those found drunk or in possession of half a bottle of bootlegged moonshine?
Addiction, to my mind, is clearly a healthcare issue, but these policies are not aimed at addiction to illegal drugs in the round, they're aimed specifically at the most problematic drug users that present the criminal justice with a problem. There are many many addicts that never enter the criminal justice system, and again to my mind, these policies are being drafted in an attempt to resolve a particular criminal justice problem, and not an overall set of policies aimed at resolving the nations drug problem.
There is always going to be drug users, but there will also always be significant drug problems that drive criminality until the state takes control of the supply of drugs.
'Getafix
Raab wants to be King!!
ReplyDelete"Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab has said it would have been a clear breach of Covid rules at the time if Boris Johnson’s staff held a party in No 10 in the run-up to last Christmas.
Boris Johnson has not denied reports that his members of Downing Street team staged a party on December 18 last year when London was under Tier 3 restrictions but has insisted that no rules were broken.
However Mr Raab, who is also the Justice Secretary, said he did not know the truth of the reports based on “unsubstantiated claims all on the basis of anonymous sources”, but if they turned out to be correct, then there would have been a breach."
Oh hang on - Boris is so rattled by 'that' Christmas party, he's changed his mind. This from the Sun:-
ReplyDelete"BORIS Johnson will unleash an all-out war on drugs this week in a massive drive to clean up Britain’s crime-plagued streets.
The PM is targeting dealers, addicts and casual users who he believes are the root cause of half of all burglaries and violent robberies.
He will unveil a ten-year plan to halt the “pernicious” trade by cutting off supply chains and slashing demand.
In the biggest anti-drugs blitz in a generation, he will invest millions in rehab for desperate addicts, coupled with harsher penalties for pushers and recreational buyers.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun on Sunday, Mr Johnson says politicians have dithered over the scourge for too long — sometimes because they once dabbled in drugs themselves.
He said: “Drugs are driving a lot of misery and we can fix it. They’re not going to make you happier. They’re not going to make you more successful. They’re not going to make you cooler. They’re bad news.”
Johnson obviously missed his Adam Smith lectures at Eton, and dosen't understand the fundamental principle of supply and demand.
DeleteWhere there's a demand there will always be someone somewhere willing to provide a supply. It's exactly the reason so many are finding rubber dinghies and risking their lives crossing the Channel. There's a demand, someone will take the opportunity to supply the dinghies to realise a profit.
Drugs is commerce, big business. Locking up a drug dealer dosen't solve the problem, on the contrary, it creates a space in the market and an opportunity for someone else fill. It becomes a perpetual and very expensive cycle. The harder you push against it, the further underground the problem goes.
Drugs are bad news, Johnson's right on that, but that's exactly why Governments need to own the problem.
How many years have Governments waged a war on drugs? How much is the annual cost of that war? Yet drugs are more prevalent and more available in today's society then ever before. Its just a nonsense to keep trying to police the problem away, it hasn't worked so far, and it won't work.
Johnson might like to be able to say this Tory Government are locking up more drug dealers and users then ever before, but he should be mindful of how many 'new starters' he's creating opportunity for.
Isn't he somewhat famous for saying "take back control"?
'Getafix
erm...
Deletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-59539589
House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has promised to raise allegations of drug use in Parliament with the Metropolitan Police this week.
He described a report in the Sunday Times that traces of cocaine had been found in several lavatory areas as "deeply concerning".
Sir Lindsay told the BBC that those who "flout the law" should face punishment.
Even on drug use its one rule for them and another for the rest of us.
Deletehttps://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19763340.sniffer-dogs-used-westminster-amid-concerns-growing-drug-use/
And then it gets sillier/funnier/more stupider/weirderer:
Deletehttps://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/dec/06/middle-class-drug-users-could-lose-uk-passports-under-boris-johnsons-plans
ex=BBC newshound Danny Shaw: "There is a lot of tough talk in the Drugs Strategy but strip away the packaging & the content is broadly the same as the 2010 & 2017 - a mix of enforcement and treatment. Fundamental legal changes were never on the agenda."
ReplyDeleteMaybe Tory voters could consider this Kafkaesque bollox (from BBCNews this morning):
ReplyDeleteBBC Presenter Sally Nugent - "Would you support an official investigation into the party at No.10 that broke covid rules?"
Kit Malthouse MP - "I've been assured no rules were broken... I don't even know if an event took place, but if it did no rules were broken."
BBC's Victoria Derbyshire this morning are using numerical figures like "it's THOUGHT X amount of people are recreational drug users, or it's THOUGHT X amount of addicts are responsible for such and such.
ReplyDeleteNo empirical statistics, just a thought, a guesstimate.
Johnson himself quoted a number of 300,000 'lifestyle' drug users in the UK.
It seem quite clear to me that they haven't a clue just how extensive drug use in the UK really is. For sure there's more then 300,000 cannabis 'lifestyle' users in the UK. London alone might account for that number.
What potential success can you attach to a 10 year strategy, when you have no real idea about the extent of the problem you're setting out to tackle?
It's all for show. Something to
fool Tory voters with at the next general election.
'Getafix
And in support of your observation here's Danny Shaw again:
Delete"Today’s Drugs Strategy is 6th drugs strategy in 23 years (1998, 2002, 2008, 2010 & 2017 the others). The approach has hardly changed, but problems still just as serious. In 1998 Govt said there were up to 200,000 problematic users. By 2002 it was 250,000. In 2008, it was 332,000."
Herewith an example of modern/management bollox-speak that is sweeping the nation. Its a journalist talking about the delay to the govt's levelling-up white paper:
ReplyDelete"As I understand it Neil O’Brien had finished writing the document last month, but the delay is in rolling the pitch with MPs and squaring off stakeholders so it lands properly"
Maybe they became affected after attending Shrodinger's Xmas Party held at Downing St last year?
Boris Johnson has had a terrible relationship with Liverpool. Hillsborough slurs and much more.
ReplyDeleteThis morning he joined drug raids in Liverpool on the day he announces his nationde clamp down on drugs. He could of gone anywhere. He chose Liverpool.
What a fool. What a prick.
Leveling up?
Boris is a fucking idiot and the Tories just brainwash the unintelligent.
That is an excellent assesment. Horribly though even boring bumbling Boris is not aware that as soon as his incompetant gold Vernier starts to tarnish he going to be cut. Sunak might strike at a slice but will more likely hold for a second round standing. The nutter deputy is getting more confident and may foolishly crawl out from his slime to start a challenge to lose out to the real secret wanna be. Same old intrigue. Leveling an attack in drugs in Liverpool is a daft trick. Drugs exist in the economy as opportunities don't. As usual he has brought the posh twit with to lives and a country he has fuck all knowledge or experience of the real poor the rest of us.
DeleteCannabis is wide accepted as tobacco additive smoked in the open rampant in students and probably well over a million users in London alone. It is a massive cash economy no tax for the deliveries riders runners and dealers barons and lords. Hierarchy is well supported in technology and some have fronting companies. Cocaine is another strata of designer drug for the professional classes who often indulge. Take a good look at Westminster then. The Tories won't really do a things it's gimmick as they mask their grand larsony of all our country's wealth in back door flows to offshore banking. We will never stop this as greed power trips keep their machine running while our youth and society crumble along the recreational drug escape cosh.
ReplyDeleteProbation Service Smarter Working
ReplyDelete@SmartProbation
· 52m
There is good evidence that when people feel processes are applied and decisions are made fairly, they are more likely to trust authority figures, respect rules and follow them. This is called ‘procedural justice’. Make sure decisions made are clear, transparent and fair.
FFS. on any level: No 10 Christmas parties, an employer who extolls the virtues of employees commitment but doesnt pay them their overdue wages. Do these people have absolutely no sense of irony?
https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/19761453.dealers-excuses-dont-cut-ice-carlisle-crown-court-judge/
ReplyDelete"You were selling this stuff for profit; that’s what you were about. If you had needed help, you could have gone to your doctor for your ADHD."
“There are so many people now suffering from ADHD, resorting to all sorts of drugs for medication. I don’t buy it, frankly. Guidelines are that drug dealers should go to prison; and anything less than a prison sentence almost ignores the seriousness of the offence.”
Recorder Atherton ordered that each defendant do 150 hours of unpaid work.
** That'll sort it **
I know there is a protocal and instruction re home visits. Nobody in my vicinity is following these. Called into a client on the way home this evening. Totally (and professionally) relaxed about the risks this visit might pose against the usual metrics, but then he turns out to be an antivaxer.
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/4Ofkm48nv_k
ReplyDeleteWhite privileged men in the most senior positions of public service go on holiday while their govt dept is facing a critical incident. They knew what was happening & what was coming. Their lack of leadership results in tens of thousands of Afghan people being abandoned to face a future of fear, poverty & persecution - an unknown number have already been murdered.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to UKplc, where the likelihood of the deaths of thousands of Afghan people at the hands of invading extremists is not deemed serious enough for our Foreign Sec & the leading Civil Servant to ruin their expensive holidays.
We are a nasty, selfish little country. We allow thousands of our own population, the elderly & vulnerable, to perish during a pandemic in the name of "libertarian poliicies", aka incompetence, selfishness & arrogance. We deliberately sabotage a perfectly healthy alliance with Europe in the name of "sovereignty", aka the vested interests of over-privileged wealthy white men. And we allow these self-defined "elite" to remain in power, asset-stripping & dividing the nation; we tolerate them laughing & carousing while the country falls apart.
I feel sick to my bones.
I watched much of the proceedings in Parliament yesterday on the Immigration and Borders Bill, and also the questioning of the high ranking civil servents who thought it appropriate to holiday while the rest of the world watched the disaster in Afghanistan unfold.
DeleteThe debate in the House itself was reminiscent of Orwells Animal Farm. The debate was disturbing in itself, but from the dispatch box it was announced that there's an 'imminent' announcement due on how the Government intend to rip up the Human Rights Act. It should have been disturbing news, but the Tory back benches nodded and smiled at the news.
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal then others".
But it's behaviour that has now come to be expected from this Government. They position themselves as the elite, and as such above any reproach or question.
Pretty much lost amongst the endless scandals of recent weeks is another shameful (and dangerous) act of this Government. They intend to make themselves even more untouchable by allowing Government to overrule Judicial Review decisions. If they are found wanting in the future, it dosen't matter, they can just disregard the decisions of the courts.
It's a dirty Government with dirty politics.
I too feel ashamed.
https://www-independent-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-reforms-judicial-review-b1970290.html?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&&usqp=mq331AQKKAFQArABIIACAw%3D%3D#aoh=16389523994016&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.independent.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fuk%2Fpolitics%2Fboris-johnson-reforms-judicial-review-b1970290.html
'Getafix
Tweeted during PMQs by Dominic Cummings.
ReplyDeleteThe former aide to the Prime Minister took to Twitter to hint at another bombshell about to explode on Mr Johnson. He tweeted:
"Will the CABSEC also be asked to investigate the *flat* party on Fri 13 Nov, the other flat parties, & the flat's 'bubble' policy...?"
Tories are not credible. Keeping a party secret all year. There is no way bonson did not know but won't go. Stratton hadn no choice but for a spokesperson of the government what a first class idiot. Such a rookie error talking off record in a press room. I bet they could not wait to release that leak. Of course it had to be Christmas to have value. Any restrictions by this Tory cronies club want hold . They have parties while people have died. They have booze on the tax payer but won't fund a pay rise for NHS. Nasty party is well and truly just nasty. Laura BBC had the sense to tell BJ he must have known but he answered a different question he just made up in his head. He is looking vulnerable now but starmer couldn't drive a bike let alone drive bonson out.
ReplyDeleteIt's looking bad on the forcasting as cases add up. Seems Boris is too late and not gone far enough to slow infections. Sunak had told him no furlough money so it's infection or people are broke nice way to run the country .
ReplyDeleteAlso Boris telling fibs on what's app pleading for more cash from do IRS . The guy earns a fortune as a pm . Yet he is likely to fall because he seems to me at least to be a pathological liar. If he told the truth occasionally and apologised upfront he would be gold. Always the naivety of the narcisist to think invincible. Lying on this issue is another classic foolish bono own goal after ramping up the interest. He must want out really.
DeleteThe Times: "No 10 Christmas party was planned for 3 weeks with WhatsApp invitations sent while UK was in full lockdown Invitations circulated at end of Nov asking people to attend press office ‘secret Santa’ event with exchange of gifts + cheese & wine"
ReplyDeleteAnyone & everyone who knew about this should be dismissed with immediate effect from whatever role they hold with no benefits, parting gifts or enhancements. They all colluded in a grotesque taking-of-the-piss over the British public.
Don't tell them your name Pike
ReplyDeletehttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/10/lies-accusations-boris-johnson-full-list-dishonesty-christmas-party
includes such favourites as partygate, wallpapergate, brexit, proroguing parliament, Hillsbro, shagging, hospitals
Antonia Romeo loves a party - wonder if she & her chums were there receiving awards for fucking the probation service in the ass?
ReplyDeleteMr Cummings said Mr Johnson was being untruthful and added: “There were invites sent across Whitehall, it was an organised party. The trolley (referring to Mr Johnson) knew this and tried to lie his way out but was fkd (sic) by the video.”
ReplyDeleteThe Wee One may not be an infallible individual, but a clear example of good old fashioned honest, responsible leadership in action:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/SallyBourliakas/status/1469286318408716294
Respected real-world scientists say: "impressive explanation of exponential growth here from @NicolaSturgeon"
Different note. Don't know if this happens in other areas but I can't fathom why it's acceptable to keep pushing admin jobs from the cas on to pos. The work is then expected to be absorbed and not counted in terms of the extra time it takes. If admin staff are overloaded perhaps get more and pay a decent wage instead of shoving admin tasks which were always under their role to POs and PSOs. Can't help but think its part of the civil service view of us being glorified administrators. There's nothing glorified about it!
ReplyDeleteSeasonal Greetings in these weird times. Thanks as always to JB for the blog, the patience, the moderation, the time & the opportunity to vent/rant/read/become involved. Ii'm finding it vrry difficult to cope with the preparedness of the UK govt to sabotage the nation state, enrich its favoured sons & daughters, while slaughtering swathes of the population with its incompetence. I had hoped It wasn't their intended path because that would be monstrous but... I fear that they ARE actively pursuing such divisive, deluded acts of monstrosity. And worse still, they have the support of enough people to keep them in power. Happy Xmas.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Anon 06:49 - I too find it very depressing but at least the tide is beginning to turn for Boris Johnson and we can all rejoice at that prospect.
DeleteThe blog is just coasting along and my interest in it is waning as the service gets ever-more distant from the probation ethos I was once so proud of. I gather morale is at rock bottom - this from email yesterday:-
"I see the results of the staff survey are on the intranet today and the introduction from Jo Farrer indicates that nothing has changed, or if it has, it’s for the worse. It’s all wrapped up with platitudes about how they are listening and how they will do better next time. It’s a bit like Xmas, comes round about the same time every year!"
I too would like to acknowledge the commitment of JB in keeping this blog going. It must be hard and very depressing. More so when you see what's become of a service that you've committed a significant part of your life too.
DeleteI think there's probably an argument to be made that actually probation no longer exists. It's become an extended period of ROTL for the offender, a HMP COMMUNITY, just check in at prescribed intervals instead of returning to custody. It's sad, both for those who work in the service and for those being subjected to the service.
For the offender it's become an obstacle to navigate rather then to embrace as a means to enhance life chances.
Still, I have no doubt that some bright spark in the future will have a ureka moment and reinvent the wheel, and everyone will wonder why we didn't always do it that way.
It won't be Johnson though.
It propably indicates an unpleasant side of my character, but I'm taking great pleasure from Johnsons uncomfortable situation at the moment. I'm starting to think the writings on the wall for him, and his lies, contempt and idiotic rantings are finally catching up with him.
I'd like to highlight also a very short BBC news article relating to the original blog title, and also a comment made on Afghanistan.
I think it was a political and humanitarian disgrace how the evacuation of Afghanistan was handled. Apart from anything else it left Afghanistan with an economy in total free fall. However, 80% of the world's heroin supply comes from Afghanistan. With nothing much else for the economy to prosper from, its not surprising that production of drugs might be ramped up.
I also can't help but think when I watch this news clip that there's a certain f*** you about what it might mean for those countries that have just pulled out!
https://youtu.be/QcX8a0MSdhY
'Getafix