Drug Treatment Works
| DOI | 10.1177/026455059904600310 |
| Date | 01 September 1999 |
| Published date | 01 September 1999 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Race, Reports
Probation Service Headquarters, Cliff
House, Sandy Walk, Wakefield,
and Sentencing
WF1
2DJ, £3.
This study was conducted 10 years after
a similar survey in 1987, of 663 pre-
sentence reports and related sentencing
Drug Treatment
outcomes. That earlier research concluded
that Black and Asian offenders who had
Works
committed offences at similar levels of
seriousness
This NACRO
were more likely than White
report summarises the
offenders to be sent to prison and fined;
evidence for the link between drug use and
less likely to receive probation orders; and
criminal activity, and brings together
much less likely to be given community
research findings showing that treatment
service orders. It also found that report
and prevention are more effective than
writers did not consistently consider the
custodial punishments at reducing drug-
same
related crime. One of the most
range of sentencing options for all
interesting
groups.
prevention projects it cites is ’Project
Charlie’, an educational programme for
This more recent survey involved
primary school children in Hackney,
analysis of 8,000 reports over an 18 month
London. It sought to reduce drug misuse
period between January 1996 and June
by improving children’s decision-making
1997. It finds &dquo;no evidence of overall
skills, their ability to resist peer pressure,
differences in report proposals or
their self esteem and knowledge of the
sentencing in the Magistrates’ Court to the
harm that drugs can do. A follow-up study
obvious disadvantage of Black offenders&dquo;.
between 1991 and 1993 showed that at the
However, given the higher proportion of
age of 14 the sample had more negative
the latter dealt with in the Crown Court,
attitudes to drugs than those in control
the author concludes that there ought to be
groups, were significantly less likely to
fewer Black people receiving custodial
have used illegal drugs and tobacco, and
sentences in the Magistrates Court.
had a significantly...
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