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Drugs and Young Offenders: Guidance for Drug Action Teams and Youth Offending Teams

NCJ Number
181420
Date Published
1999
Length
39 pages
Annotation
This paper offers guidance for Drug Action Teams and Youth Offending Teams for local delivery of the national drug strategy and a partnership approach to working with young offenders who are involved with drugs.
Abstract
The paper looks at the place of drugs in the lives of young offenders and the importance of addressing this as part of the response to youth offending. It also discusses interventions to help prevent drug taking among young offenders and, in particular, what can be done to prevent them going on to develop problematic drugs and crime careers. The paper reviews research and experience in dealing with young offenders and opportunities to intervene. Points of intervention include arrest, caution/final warnings, court, bail support, remand and sentence. The discussion of interventions includes needs and risk assessment, involving parents and those with parental responsibility, educational gaps and learning difficulties and mental health and emotional/behavioral problems. Treatment interventions include prescribing and detoxification, drug testing, needle exchange and residential rehabilitation. Notes, appendix