Keep up-to-date with drugs and crime

The latest research, policy, practice and opinion on our criminal justice and drug & alcohol treatment systems
Search

Latest Blog Posts

Payment by Results
Whether to use payment by results? (NAO 2)

Are the NAO’s features a copper-bottomed guarantee of an effective PbR scheme? Or are you more in agreement with me that the attraction of PbR is the chance to move away from the straight-jacket of contemporary procurement and stimulate fresh approaches, under-written by the knowledge that if a provider fails, the commissioner doesn’t have to pay?

On Probation
Prison and probation annual report

National Offender Management Service has published its annual report and accounts for 2014/15. What does it tell us?

Criminal Justice
New Justice Secretary sets out his stall

An intriguing first speech from new Justice Secretary Michael Gove sets out a vision of “one nation justice policy.” The tone and content were so striking that the Guardian was moved to write an editorial sub-titled: “hope at last for penal reform?”

Alcohol/Drugs/Gambling
20 million Europeans smoke cannabis

The most recent EMCDDA estimate suggests that almost 1% Europeans use cannabis daily or almost daily (defined as 20 days or more per month). Since 2008, cannabis use is the main reason that Europeans enter drug treatment for the first time. Over this time, the number of first-time cannabis clients has risen markedly and cannabis users represent around half a more of all service users entering drug treatment in Cyprus, Denmark, France, Hungary and the Netherlands.

Alcohol/Drugs/Gambling
NHS and probation reforms threaten offender health

Professor Brooker concludes with a plea that both the National Probation Service and the new private Community Rehabilitation Companies should be equipping their staff with training to at least recognise mental health disorders and to take some action in attempting to connect probationers to existing services.

Payment by Results
Government co-ordination of payment by results (NAO 1)

PbR schemes are typically targeted at intractable, multi-faceted social problems with the hope that an outcome-focused approach will encourage innovation and more holistic responses. If government departments cannot even co-ordinate their commissioning around PbR, it will be very difficult for providers to design and deliver new solutions.

Employ Russell

Russell has over 20 years’ experience as a researcher and consultant specialising in substance misuse and crime.

Policy advice and research, service evaluations, publications & communications.

Russell has worked as a researcher, evaluator, consultant, policy expert, writer, trainer and communications expert.

Prison, probation, police, substance misuse, commissioning & payment by results.

Keep up-to-date with drugs & Crime

Explore > 2,000 blog posts

Browse by category

Alcohol/Drugs/Gambling

The latest research, policy & practice in addictions.

Probation

The latest developments in probation reform & practice.

Prison

Can prison service get back to providing a positive regime?

Criminal Justice

Latest crime stats, plus developments on courts, diversion etc.

Policing

How are the police adapting to cybercrime & demands of policing in 21st century?

Innovation

The newest digital technology, latest apps and much more

client feedback

Testimonials

Subscribe

Get every blog post by email for free