FOURFOLD RISE IN DRUG OFFENDERS OVER 10 YEARS

Government Urged To Spend More Money On Treating Users To Cut Crime

The number of people convicted of drugs offences has quadrupled over the
past 10 years and drug users are now responsible for a third of all theft,
burglaries and street robberies, according to a report published today.

The National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders said
its study, Drug Driven Crime, showed there were compelling reasons to
direct more resources into drug treatment programmes and away from
conventional punishments like prison.

Analysis of research conducted in Britain, Australia and the US proved this
was the best way of preventing re-offending and substantially cutting crime
rates, Nacro said.

"Conventional punishments simply produce a vicious circle of crime,
punishment and a rapid return to drug use," said Paul Cavadino, Nacro's
director of policy.

"Getting drug-dependent offenders into treatment programmes is by far the
most effective option. For every pounds 1 spent on drug misuse treatment,
we save more than pounds 3 associated with the costs of crime."

The report draws together data from numerous studies to highlight the links
between the soaring number of drug users and criminal activity.

One recent survey showed users in Derby, Brighton and Southwark, south-east
London, were spending between pounds 300 and pounds 2,000 a week on drugs,
with most of the cash coming from shoplifting, burglary, fraud and
prostitution.

It is estimated that across England and Wales drug users raise pounds 850m
a year through "acquisitive crime". The cost to the victims is thought to
be pounds 2.5bn.

Nacro points to a recent home office study of 7,000 criminals which
concluded that drug use was more significant than any other social factor -
including employment, accommodation and alcohol - when it came to the
causes of re-offending. In Dorset, 79% of offenders with a drug problem
were reconvicted.

The report cites the findings of the National Treatment Outcome Research
Study, funded by the department of health, which followed 1,100 drug users,
responsible for 70,000 crimes, after they joined treatment schemes.

Researchers found that "both drug and criminal activity dropped
substantially during the early stages of treatment", and within two years
the proportion of users committing property crime fell from 52% to 27%.

One study in California estimated that drug treatment courses costing $209m
led to a fall in crime which saved the state $1.5bn over 12 months.

Despite the advantages of in vesting in such programmes, Nacro said that
funding for services in Britain is "insecure" and it claims that there are
often waiting lists which discourage drug users who need immediate attention.

It wants the government to direct a greater proportion of the pounds 1.4bn
spent annually on drug issues towards providing treatment services.

"Two thirds of the budget is spent on law enforcement and a third on
prevention and education," said a spokesman. There is an imbalance at the
moment and we need to look at how the funds can be reallocated."

Nacro suggests that the money spent prosecuting cannabis users should be
channelled into drug treatment programmes for people with more serious
problems.

Peter Glass, director of Cranstoun drug services, which provides
rehabilitation facilites for drug users across the south of England, said:
"We need to concentrate on providing community based agencies for prisoners
after they leave jail. Many of these organisations are completely
overstretched."

Home office minister Lord Bassam said that the government had given the
prison service an extra pounds 50m over the next three years for drug
treatment programmes and pounds 20m had gone to police forces to develop
proper referral schemes.

In a statement, he said: "The government is only too aware of the link
between drug taking and multiple offending. It has been a priority to
introduce a range of measures to help tackle this vicious cycle."

STATISTICS OF A SOCIAL PROBLEM:

* The number of people cautioned or convicted for drugs offences rose from
26,000 in 1987 to 113,200 in 1997.

* The number of dealing offences rose from 3,900 to 14,100 in the same period.

* A recent study estimated there were 130,000 "problematic" drug users in
England and Wales.

* Drug users spend between pounds 300 and pounds 2,000 a week on drugs and
"only a small proportion" of the money is raised legally.

* Drug users raise up to pounds 850m a year through "acquistive" crime.

* One survey reported 51% of male prisoners on remand had some sort of drug
dependence.

* According to prison statistics, 7,174 people were serving prison
sentences for drugs offences in 1997 - a 108% increase since 1987.