Intensive Supervision Courts to be piloted in Liverpool
28.06.23 - Merseyside
Liverpool is one of two areas set to pilot new 'Intensive Supervisions Courts' focused on tackling the root causes of offenders' behaviour, helping them to change their ways and cut reoffending.
The new initiative will see criminals serving community orders for low level offences being closely monitored by judges, who will direct them to address their addiction issues head on.
Through the pilot - launched in Liverpool and Teesside this week - when an offender is sentenced, the judge will order them to attend regular review meetings to check they are abiding by the requirements of their community sentence.
Offenders will also have access to specialist drug and alcohol treatment to help them tackle the substance misuse which could be driving their criminality.
At the same time, they will receive intensive supervision from the Probation Service which could include frequent and random drug testing.
They will also have support accessing education, employment and housing.
Failure to engage, continued substance misuse or refusal to attend the follow-on meetings with the judge could mean the offender faces increased drug testing or is sent to prison. Judges will also use privileges such as relaxing conditions to recognise good progress.
Merseyside’s Police Commissioner, and the deputy national lead for criminal justice on behalf of all PCCs, Emily Spurrell said: “It’s essential that vulnerable people get the right treatment and support to break the cycle of drug use. This is critical in preventing crime and reducing the burden on our police, courts, prisons and health services.
“We’ve already seen the difference a whole-systems approach can make here in Merseyside through the success of Project ADDER, so I welcome the pilot of this innovative new court here in Liverpool.
“As Chair of the Merseyside Criminal Justice Board, I know there is a real commitment among everyone involved in our court system to invest in the right interventions at the right time. The introduction of this new Intensive Supervision Court will further increase our ability to act early to steer vulnerable people away from crime, protecting the public and making our communities safer.”
The pilot is based on evidence that approaches such as this can reduce reoffending. Similar schemes have already launched internationally and trialled in the UK, including successful initiatives in the West Midlands.
Studies show that getting offenders to confront their addiction through specialist support helps drive down their chance of committing further crimes. A US study on the long-term effect of a similar problem solving approach saw 25% fewer drug charges over a 15-year period.
Ben, 31, was handed a 3-year community sentence and was required to take part in a programme which uses some of the problem-solving elements that will also be used in the new Intensive Supervision Court pilot.
He said: "This sentence gave me the specialised care I needed to help me progress. My crimes were always about money and this community order was tailored to me, to allow me to work and make money legally – which stopped me falling off the rails.
"The training courses were an eye-opener for me. The courses I did saved me. Before those I could only work for £100 a day as a labourer, and this allowed me to earn more which helped me move away from getting money through crime.
"I’ve only been given two community orders, one when I was 19 and then the most recent one. I was never given a chance, but I could have gone through this and moved on and away from crime at 25."
Phil Bowen, Director for the Centre of Justice Innovation, said: "These pilot courts offer a real opportunity to provide an intense, alternative sentence to custody for people whose offending is linked to substance use and other complex needs.
The evidence suggests that, by combining wraparound supervision with regular judicial oversight which holds people and services to account, we can make a material difference to offending. These pilots allow us to test the effectiveness of these approaches in order to inform decisions on any potential wider roll-out.
Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk MP KC, said: "Clamping down on the root causes of addiction will help us combat the scourge of drug and alcohol-fuelled crime which costs the taxpayer £22 billion a year.
"This tough new approach is a tried and tested model that we know cuts crime and makes our communities safer."