The government strategy for cutting drug-related crime is severely criticised in a new report by the influential UK Drug Policy Commission.
The government strategy for cutting drug-related crime has been severely criticised in a report by the influential UK Drug Policy Commission.
The independent panel has concluded that evidence over what works is "seriously weak or absent".
The independent panel said evidence to show what worked in drug treatment was "seriously weak or absent".
This is despite spending more than £330m on treating offenders in England and Wales each year.
More than £330m is spent in England and Wales on treating offenders annually.
Some treatment, it warns, risks doing more harm than good and that the millions spent may not offer value.
The panel said some treatment services risked doing more harm than good. It criticised the Carat service, which took on 78,000 new prisoners last year.
Three weeks ago the government launched its 10-year drugs strategy, which sees yet more money focused on drug-dependent offenders.
Return to drugs
"We simply do not know enough about which programmes work best for whom," the commission argues.
In a report seen by BBC home editor Mark Easton, the commission said the treatment service cost £31m to run but "there are no evaluations of its effectiveness".
"Answers to even basic questions are not freely available," it says, "and the weakness of the evidence base severely hampers good practice."
It found for the 40,000 prisoners who go through detox while in jail, a lack of proper aftercare meant many went straight back to using hard drugs when they left prison.
Given the considerable ongoing investment in criminal justice system drug interventions, it is striking that we still know so little about the effectiveness of many of them UK Drug Policy Commission
And that one in 200 injecting heroin users would be dead from an overdose within a fortnight of being released.
The report singles out the CARAT treatment service which greeted 78,000 new prisoners last year.
There was also a lack of evidence for the effectiveness of drug-free wings in prisons, it said.
It costs £31m to run but the report says "there are no evaluations of its effectiveness".
Answers to even basic questions are not freely available and the weakness of the evidence base severely hampers good practice UK Drug Policy Commission
The same applies to drug-free wings in prisons which are very popular with the Conservatives.
"Given the considerable ongoing investment in criminal justice system drug interventions, it is striking that we still know so little about the effectiveness of many of them, especially those in prisons and crucially whether they represent value for money", it added.
The government is considering increasing their number - but do they work? The evidence is not there.
While community programmes appeared to work better, they were no magic bullet.
The report is highly critical of the quality of treatment in our jails.
In February, the government launched its 10-year drugs strategy, which saw more money focused on drug-dependent offenders.
Aftercare concerns
But the commission said: "We simply do not know enough about which programmes work best for whom.
"Provision often falls short of even minimum standards," it believes, adding that this is "a major concern for the health and well-being of prisoners and the subsequent impact on crime".
"Answers to even basic questions are not freely available and the weakness of the evidence base severely hampers good practice."
The report concludes that for the 40,000 prisoners who go through detox while inside, a lack of proper aftercare means many go straight back to using hard drugs when they get out.
The report was highly critical of the quality of treatment in jails, where "provision often falls short of even minimum standards... a major concern for the health and well-being of prisoners and the subsequent impact on crime".
And that one in 200 injecting heroin users will be dead from an overdose within a fortnight of being released.
Government's 'difficulties'
The government, however, says there is a growing body of evidence that treating offenders can reduce drug-related crime.
But the government said there was a growing body of evidence treating offenders could reduce drug-related crime.
Its new drugs strategy, published three weeks ago, says "proactively targeting and managing drug-misusing offenders" will be a key element.
Its new drugs strategy made "proactively targeting and managing drug-misusing offenders" a key element.
An additional £25m a year will be spent on treating offenders by 2011.
An additional £25m a year will be spent on treating offenders by 2011.
Thousands treated
Justice Minister David Hanson welcomed the commission's report. He said it recognised the challenges, difficulties and recent improvements in drug treatment.
However the commission says that "given the considerable ongoing investment in criminal justice system drug interventions, it is striking that we still know so little about the effectiveness of many of them, especially those in prisons and crucially whether they represent value for money".
He said 53 prisons would benefit from health funding for enhanced clinical drug services by April.
Community programmes appear to work better but they are no magic bullet, the commission believes.
The £175m Drugs Intervention Programme treated 40,000 offenders in the community last year.
The £175m Drugs Intervention Programme treated 40,000 offenders in the community last year.
Six months later, 47% had reduced their offending. But 28% had increased their offending and there is little understanding about who benefits and why.
Six months later, 47% had reduced their offending. But 28% had increased.
The commission also posts a warning on plans to widen the net to drug users whose habit is not directly related to their offending.
Widening warning
Such a plan, it says, "is likely to be inefficient and could be harmful".
The report said plans to widen treatment to drug users whose habit was not directly related to their offending was "likely to be inefficient and could be harmful".
The risk is that younger recreational drug users will fail to complete some treatment programme and will end up being further criminalised.
The risk was that younger recreational drug users would fail to complete some treatment programme and would end up being further criminalised.
And they warn that the law of diminishing returns will kick in making the scheme less effective and more expensive.
The law of diminishing returns could kick in, making the scheme less effective and more expensive, it warned.
Chairman of the British Medical Association's forensic medicine committee, George Fernie, said the prison system lacked a "comprehensive care package" from when someone entered the custodial chain to when they were released.
"Technically, it is not that difficult to get somebody off drugs," he said. "It is the follow-through that we have to have, with stable housing, employment and family support."
He backed community treatment, saying: "Prisons are perhaps not awash with drugs, but illegal substances are readily available.
"We would like people treated effectively in the community if the alternative is a short prison sentence."
Have you been on a prison drug treatment plan? Did it work? Did you receive suitable aftercare to remain off drugs? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below:
Have you been on a prison drug treatment plan? Did it work? Did you receive suitable aftercare to remain off drugs? If you have any information you would like to share with the BBC you can do so using the form below:
