Sobering Up: Arrest Referral and Brief Intervention for Alcohol Users in the Custody Suite

• NCJ Number: 216460
• Journal: Criminology & Criminal Justice Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2006 Pages: 389-410
• Author(s): Matt Hopkins; Paul Sparrow
• Date Published: November 2006
• Length: 22 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Case Study
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article reviews the principles behind arrest referral and brief intervention and presents a case study of an alcohol arrest referral scheme that was part of a Targeted Policing Initiative in England.

Abstract

Overall, evaluation data revealed that the average number of alcohol-related arrests fell dramatically (75 percent) following intervention. Specifically, 14.5 percent of offenders arrested for alcohol-related offenses were re-arrested within 3-months after intervention. Offenders with a more established history of alcohol-related arrests were more likely to be re-arrested following intervention than were offenders with only one prior alcohol-related arrest. Interview data 3 months following intervention indicated that 67 percent of offenders drank less following contact with the arrest referral and brief intervention scheme. The key component to the success of the scheme seemed to be that nurses provided support for arrestees when they most needed it. The Nottingham alcohol arrest referral scheme was part of a larger targeted policing initiative across the county that ran from April 2001 through April 2002 and implemented a variety of interventions to reduce alcohol-related violence. The arrest referral scheme employed three nurses who worked in a busy custody suite in Nottingham city center. Key elements of the scheme were: (1) to interview those detained for alcohol-related violence offense; (2) to assess general drinking patters among those arrested through a “lifestyle” audit and relay to individuals the extent of their drinking problem; (3) to give advice to arrestees on health-related issues, safe drinking patterns, and to provide referrals to appropriate treatment agencies; and (4) to give advice to patients on how to reduce drinking patterns. Two data sources were used to evaluate the arrest referral and brief intervention scheme: arrest data from 200 arrestees over a 3-month period following the intervention and questionnaire data obtained from 1,181 arrestees 3 months following the intervention. Data were analyzed using statistical methods. Figures, tables, notes, references