KEY POINTS:
The Drug Foundation has released a tough-talking new policy statement calling for long-term solutions to prison drug offending issues and an end to "political point-scoring".
A "significant expansion" of drug treatment services in prisons and greater investment in reintegrating prisoners into the community were critical if New Zealand wanted to reduce reoffending rates, said foundation executive director Ross Bell.
The policy proposal, Reducing Alcohol and Other Drug Problems in New Zealand's Criminal Justice System, sets out priorities for action based on research into how other countries have reduced offending though co-ordinated addiction treatment and reintegration programmes.
The foundation urged a "whole of government" plan to address alcohol and drug problems across the wider criminal justice system, so that addicted offenders were identified early and given access to the same treatments available to those not in jail.
The policy calls for:
* Provision of addiction treatment services to people in police cells, on remand and community sentences
* Diversion to compulsory treatment
* Expansion of methadone treatment
* The introduction of clean drug injecting equipment in prisons.
The foundation wants politicians, decision-makers and advocates to debate the issue "with an eye to long-term solutions rather than political point-scoring".
Mr Bell said debate over the past decade had been dominated by "tough on crime" proponents and the resulting increase in prisoner numbers has made the problem worse. If prisoners didn't get treatment for their alcohol and drug problems they quickly re-offended.
"It's time to get smart about this. It's not about being soft or tough on crime. It's about looking seriously at best practice and solid evidence to find real solutions."
Mr Bell said there was ample evidence from other countries that the sorts of interventions suggested in the policy statement resulted in significant reductions in reoffending, and economic savings.
- NZPA
