Author:
Publication: This is London
Date: May 30, 2002
URL: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=599586&in_review_text_id=568555
Jailed heroin addicts are being
taught yoga and acupuncture as part of a new rehabilitation programme,
probation service officials said today.
Muggers and thieves who commit crimes
to fund their drug habit are being given the holistic sessions to help
de-stress them and wean them off their addiction.
Re-offending among drug users on
the new scheme, which is on trial across Leicestershire and Rutland, is
said to have dropped dramatically.
Prisoners being rehabilitated back
into the community and convicted criminals on probation orders are taking
part in the programme to help them kick their habit.
Many of them are put on drug treatment
and testing orders by a court and committed to spending 15 hours a week
with the probation service.
They draw up a programme for the
offender, which includes group therapy sessions, yoga, acupuncture and
regular drug testing.
The Criminal Justice Drug Team,
which deals with the scheme, also helps criminals find employment and accommodation
after leaving prison.
Assistant chief officer of Leicestershire
and Rutland Probation Service, Paul Hindson, said the programme had proved
a great success so far.
He said: "I have not come across
any other schemes in the country that have the range of interventions that
we have.
A drug user comes with a multitude
of problems and we have a multitude of ways to deal with those problems.
"Some things we do are standard
process across the country, like group sessions and developing life skills.
But we also have a number of alternative
methods like yoga and acupuncture."
The programme is mainly used by
ex-prisoners, as most of the drug users dealt with by the probation service
have been to jail in the past, Mr Hindson continued.
"When they come out they are not
just cast adrift. We try and make sure that there is continuity, so if
they have been off drugs in prison by enforcement, we make sure they don't
go straight back on to them outside.
"We are getting it researched by
the NHS but the early signs are that it is very effective, or at least
it is proving effective with most.
"Nobody can pretend it is effective
with all but if it doesn't work they just get sent back to prison in most
cases."
