Seven times more people are initially accessing drug rehabilitation services after their release from prison since a new prison exit scheme was introduced in Tower Hamlets last year.
“Drugs can be a contributing factor of many crimes in Tower Hamlets, including burglaries, anti-social behaviour and knife violence.
“Prisoners returning to drug use on their release means they are more likely to end up back in the vicious cycle of committing crimes to fund their habits. However, with this new scheme we are thrilled to see we are disrupting this pattern and giving people a chance to claim back their lives free from drugs after being released.
“The prison exit scheme is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month. Its success is great news for our community as it is reducing crime and re-offending and helping people with drug addictions access support and improve their health.”
The prison exit service is commissioned by Tower Hamlets Council and delivered by social enterprise Turning Point.
(D.I. comment – This is one potential and vital outcome that is erased from the drug use exiting playbook, when you decriminalize, or worse legalize drug use. You don’t have to change the legal status of drug use to recalibrate the existing laws to facilitate exit from drug use without ultimate criminal sanctions. Drug or better labelled ‘Problem Solving Courts’ can leverage the illegality of drugs to better enable and equip exit from drug use, the cause of soooo many anti-social and community harming behaviours. Pro-drug activists care nothing for the addictive outcomes and destroyed lives of young people and their families – often irreversible harms to all.
Also see
