Case studies

Background/what the project does
WALPOP is a persistent adult offenders project with a difference: it actively targets the younger brothers and sisters of drug using offenders. After only 3 months operation the scheme is working with 13 repeat offenders and their families, 11 of them involved in drug-related crime in Walsall.

The project has a seconded probation officer and policeman working as Offender Managers who visit offenders in prison and their families at home. As well as supervising the offender and referring them into local treatment services, they are able to assess the family situation. Younger siblings aged under-18, who may not yet be involved in drugs or crime but who are certainly at risk, are recruited into the scheme with the support of the family.

The WALPOP team then brings in the local Youth Offending Team and other youth agencies to provide support and interventions for these young people, aimed at reducing future drug-related crime. The project hopes to recruit a dedicated treatment specialist to provide in-house treatment advice and supervision.    

What makes it different
A holistic approach that recognises the need for early intervention to reduce drug use and drug-related crime. An estimated 80% of crime in Walsall is drug-related. The project is intelligence based: it targets those people known as repeat offenders with drug-related problems.

Quotes
"We can have more impact if we look beyond the drug user and see what is happening in their family, are there younger brothers and sisters at risk from a life of drugs and crime? We can build a relationship with a family and get their support - most parents want us to help younger children to avoid the mistakes their older siblings have made. The key is getting to them early." 

Last Updated: 29/07/2003