DRUG TESTING

Sir: As the senior probation officer responsible for the operation of the
Drug Treatment and
Testing Order (DTTO) pilot project in Liverpool, I am amazed at the article
"Straw sex
and drugs policies ignored" (2 April).

I am aware that each of the pilot schemes is different, but in
Liverpool of the 28 individuals assessed for the DTTO who have been
sentenced to date, 16 have been placed on the order, five received
immediate prison sentences due to the seriousness of their offences,
two refused to take part and the remainder were assessed as unsuitable
for the DTTO but proposed for other community sentences.

The DTTO is demanding; it is not suitable for every drug user and some
individuals fail to comply with the order. In both respects it is
similar to other community penalties currently operated by the
Probation Service. I cannot answer for the projects in the other two
areas. However, I can assure readers that in Liverpool, urine samples
are not produced in "degrading" conditions and there is no question of
female staff observing male offenders.

Merseyside Probation Service is working with a range of statutory and
voluntary agencies, to establish for each offender placed on the order
an individualised "treatment plan". The DTTO pilot projects are not
perfect; we are still learning a great deal. There is no easy solution
to the entrenched pattern of drug use, offending and prison. The Drug
Treatment and Testing Order is a brave attempt to break this cycle.

Linda Crawley,
Merseyside Probation Service,
Liverpool