News & events
Back to Drug Interventions Programme (DIP) E-bulletinsDIP E-bulletin - February 2009
Welcome to the February 2009 edition of the monthly e-bulletin for the Drug Interventions Programme.
Cannabis reclassified
Cannabis was reclassified from a Class C to a Class B drug on the 26 January 2009, putting it in the same category as drugs like speed. The maximum penalty for possession has gone up from two years in prison to five years and an unlimited fine. The maximum penalty for supply, which includes giving or selling to friends, is 14 years in prison and an unlimited fine.
When young people between 10 and 17 are caught with even a small amount of cannabis the police will always take action through arrest or referral to a Youth Offending Team. As well as confiscating the cannabis the police are likely to:
- give a reprimand if it is the first time the person has been caught with cannabis - it’s likely that their parents will be informed as well
- give a final warning and make a referral to a Youth Offending Team if it is the second time the person been caught
- make an arrest if it’s the third time, which could lead to a conviction and a criminal record
For those aged 18 or over and caught with cannabis, the police will always consider arrest. They will confiscate the drug and are likely to:
- give a cannabis warning if it’s the first time
- give a Penalty Notice for Disorder - involving an on-the-spot fine of £80 – for a second offence
- make an arrest if it is the third or more time
The Home Office and ACPO have produced a range of resources for stakeholders and the public to understand the change in classification.
A good year for the DIP and PPO programmes
Last year was a busy and impressive year for the Offender-based Interventions Unit, with continuing improvement in the delivery of PPO and DIP being evidenced in research reports. Highlights include that since the start of DIP:
- over 150,000 people have entered treatment and the SR04 target of 1,000 each week entering treatment through the CJS was met two months early in January 2008, with figures for October show the highest monthly total ever at 5,452
- drug-related crime fell by 28%
- research showed around half of those coming into contact with DIP had a 79% fall in offending after six months
Additionally, there was a 62% reduction in convictions over 17 months amongst the first cohort of PPOs, with the evaluation used to inform negotiation of the PPO target in 83 Local Area Agreements.
Homelessness to employment
The Home Office (through the Drug Interventions Programme) is supporting Homeless Link with a conference about how engaging with clients on a variety of activities (from initial engagement through to employment) can help them move on with their lives. This takes place on 10 March at the Resource Centre in London.
The event will help share and promote practice across the sectors and show how practitioners can work effectively with some of the most challenging service users to improve outcomes for them. Involvement in meaningful activities can help individuals rebuild self-esteem, personal relationships and quality of life.
Find out more information on the conference and details of how to book (new window).
DIP review
A review is underway to examine the strength and weaknesses of DIP’s current delivery model in achieving its aim of driving down drug-related offending and to review alternative models which can maximise local ownership and sustain and improve outcomes. The review has been initiated by Sally Richards, acting Programme director, as part of a long-standing commitment to mainstream DIP funding by the end of the CSR period.
The review is being co-ordinated by an independent facilitator with expertise and knowledge of the delivery landscape and will be supported by specialists from within the Home Office’s Offender-based Interventions Unit, of which DIP forms part.
Engagement from across the range of delivery partners and other stakeholders will be vital to the review’s success and further information will be made available on participation in the review and on its emerging proposals.
Integrated Offender Management
Home Office and Ministry of Justice officials are working closely with local partners to develop Integrated Offender Management (IOM) approaches in different parts of the country. This includes a number of pioneer areas which will be included in a nationally-funded evaluation of IOM to help draw out key learning from the different approaches in the pioneer areas and inform further development of the concept.
Ministers are very clear about the central importance of effective delivery of both DIP and the Prolific and other Priority Offender (PPO) Programme as critical to IOM. Without anticipating the outcomes of the national evaluation, this sort of approach may provide the longer-term home for programmes such as DIP and PPO.
A DIP factsheet on IOM is currently in production and details of how to download or order it are expected to be included in the March e-bulletin.
Latest Key Messages
The latest Key Messages for DIP provide a core script to describe the various elements of the programme and the key points that should be understood about them. This can be a useful resource when preparing reports, briefings and other publications about DIP and it is reviewed and updated every two months. The February/March edition is currently available and includes an update to the section on Restriction on Bail.
