Clashes in Culture? The 'Professionalisation' and 'Criminalisation' of the Drugs Workforce
| Author | Dr Karen Duke |
| Pages | 31-43 |
CLASHES IN CULTURE? THE
‘PROFESSIONALISATION’ AND
‘CRIMINALISATION’ OF THE
DRUGS WORKFORCE
Dr Karen Duke, Principa l Lecturer in Criminology, Middlesex University
Abstract
In the last decade, the number of people in drugs treatment in England has more than
doubled to a total of 207,580 in 2008/9. The increasing access to drugs treatment has been
accompanied by an expansion and development of the drugs workforce. This development has
taken the form of a ‘professionalising strategy’ and includes the introduction of national
occupational standards to establish levels of competence required of those working in the drug
treatment field and enhancement of career pathways. This paper charts the growth of the
drugs workforce over time, examines the changes in terms of their training and education, and
considers the impact of contemporary policy development on their practice. In particular, it
will explore the process of ‘criminalising’ drugs work and the conflicts and contradictions this
has created for those working in the field. The paper will also consider the recent debates
relating to the organising ideologies for drug treatment and how the current emphases on
recovery, reintegration and personalisation might impact on the training and the practice of
the drugs workforce.
Introduction
During the past decade, there has been unprecedented investment and expansion of drug
treatment services in Britain. Given the emphasis on drug-related crime within contemporary
drug policy, the criminal justice system has become a major route into treatment services and
much of the investment has occurred there. This is a new development. Historically, the
treatment services and the criminal justice system have existed independently of each other
with very little overlap and interaction. These changes have been based on the growing
evidence base indicating that ‘treatment works’ and reductions in crime could be linked to
treatment (Godfrey et al., 2004; Donmall et al., 2009). From a political perspective, the links
between drug treatment and crime reduction have helped to secure the funding and long-term
investment to expand services and win public support for this spending. However, this
expansion of treatment and the situating of service provision within the criminal justice
system have had profound effects on the practice and training needs of drugs workers.
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Clashes in Culture? The ‘Professionalisation’ and ‘Criminalisation’ of the Drugs Workforce
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