The World Health Organization (WHO) have released a document outlining the scale of the link between alcohol and offending, and the missed opportunities to address alcohol misuse within the Criminal Justice System and prisons in particular.
Download 'Alcohol problems in the criminal justice system: an opportunity for
intervention' [pdf]
The document describes an integrated model of care for alcohol problems in prisoners, with elements for best practice. The model starts with assessment of prisoners’ alcohol problems, using a validated screening tool, the WHO Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and calls for interventions tailored to prisoners’ specific needs.
Other reports have previously made calls for further attention and action to address alcohol-related offending needs. In 2011 the Centre for Mental Health published the report A Label for Exclusion: Support for alcohol-misusing offenders
In 2010 the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) published comprehensive Alcohol Interventions Guidance for probation staff on the effective commissioning, management and delivery of a range of interventions for alcohol misusing offenders.
See here for relevant bulletins from Findings bank and here for further Offender Health publications and links on the Alcohol Learning Centre.
Comments