Dual Diagnosis Conference
| Author | Jan Dymond |
| Published date | 01 December 1999 |
| Date | 01 December 1999 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/026455059904600414 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
267
sentence
length,
not,
contrary
to
common
perceptions,
always
to
the
detriment
of
foreign
nationals.
Although
packed
with
information,
this
report
would
have
benefited
from
more
rigorous
editing
and
organisation
of
the
material.
However,
these
criticisms
apart,
it
is
a
useful
addition
to
existing
knowledge,
in
this
field,
particularly
on
the
changing
profile
of
drug
traffickers.
Drug
Smuggling:
An
Analysis
of
the
Traffickers,
1991-1997,
by
Rosalyn
Harper
and
Rachel
Murphy,
Middlesex
Probation
Service
Research
and
Information
Unit,
1999.
Motivational
Interviewing
In
line
with
the
need
for
Probation
Services
to
demonstrate
effectiveness,
Middlesex
Probation
Service
has
evaluated
motivational
interviewing
(MI)
as
a
technique
to
aid
probation
officers
in
their
assessment
and
supervision
of
offenders
who
misuse
alcohol
and
drugs.
Our
research
had
three
specific
objectives.
We
aimed:
.
To
establish
whether
MI
had
any
effect
on
offender
attitudes
towards
drugs/alcohol
and
their
offending.
.
To
elicit
views
from
probation
staff
concerning
the
introduction
of
MI.
.
To
find
out
whether
MI
had been
integrated
into
practice.
Eighteen
officers
were
interviewed
twice
using
a
semi-structured
interview
guide
amongst
a
non-random
sample
of
staff.
Half
of
this
group
were
being
trained
in
MI
(intervention
group)
and
half
were
not
(control
group).
They
were
asked
a
variety
of
questions
concerning
training,
methods
of
dealing
with
offenders
and
supervision.
The
interviews
took
place
at
the
beginning
of
the
training
and
six
months
later.
Analysis
of
the
transcripts
identified
four
inter-related
themes
and
these
form
the
basis
of
the
typology
used
to
assess
the
introduction
of
MI.
The
themes
are:
.
Working
practices.
.
Definitions
of
success.
.
Perceptions
of
and
participation
in
research.
.
Professional
role
strain.
The
advantages
of
MI
listed
by
those
trained
in
it
were
that
it
was
easily
integrated
into
current
practice
and
it
enhanced
learning
from
previous
college
courses.
The
disadvantages
were
primarily
associated
with
the
time
taken
in
the
application
of
the
theory
which,
it
was
felt,
was
not
always
practical
in
a
busy
probation
setting.
Amongst
’control’
officers
MI
was
perceived
as
&dquo;nothing
new&dquo;.
The
research
has
established
that
MI
works
well
with
offenders
but
that
there
are
some
aspects
to
the
technique,
most
notably
the
time
taken
to
implement
it,
which
can
cause
problems
for
officers.
The
issue
over
time
may
resolve
itself
as
staff
members
become
more
familiar
with
the
technique.
Rosalyn
Harper,
Martin
Fenlon,
Michael
Frost
Middlesex
Probation
Service
Dual
Diagnosis
Conference
People
with
a
dual
diagnosis
are
often
involved
in
a
great
deal
of
shuttling
between
one
service
and
another.
As
a
group
they
are
difficult
to
engage
and
many
potential
service
users
fall
between
two
stools,
often
presenting
at
Accident
and
Emergency
departments
in
acute
distress,
sometimes
as a
result
of
coming
into
contact
with
the
Criminal
Justice
System.
This
Capita
conference
started
with
a
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