The Home Office have released a guidance document
Alcohol Arrest Referral (AAR) ARR: A guide to setting up schemes [pdf]
From the summary page:
'This document has been produced to help commissioners of services e.g. Drug and Alcohol Action teams (DAATs) and project teams who are considering establishing or further developing Alcohol Arrest Referral (AAR) schemes. Arrest referral is a term generally used to describe the process of engaging in terms of a brief intervention with a detained person in a police custody suite and facilitating their referral into treatment or some other diversionary channel. This is typically done by conducting a brief intervention with the offender. Alcohol Arrest Referral schemes specifically look at individuals committing alcohol related offending and so are quite different from interventions designed to improve the health of an individual.'
However the guidance identifies a number of issues that face the delivery of AAR schemes and the results of the Home Office pilots will not be available until 2010. Whilst the level of alcohol misuse is recognised is high amongst offenders and those in custody, the suitability of delivering brief interventions in Criminal Justice settings is not yet established.
Keith Lawrance, delivery manager of the Leeds Options AAR programme recently presented at an Academy event and also highlighted a number of challenges, though noted improving outcomes as learning developed. Further research will also be available from SIPS next year who have also been exploring the efficacy of brief interventions in various settings.
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