Essex: US-style courts to help cure addicts

Mr Hellawell went to Danbury, near Chelmsford, yesterday to explain the plan to the county's probation service and key magistrates.

If the Government gives the go-ahead, which it is expected to do in July, Essex will be one of the counties to start the roll-out of the new courts scheme in October.

A cashpot of £60 million has already been set aside which includes funds to recruit 700 drugs workers nationwide.

Mr Hellawell said the final way the system would run in Essex was down to the county's court officials.

But he said specialist magistrates would be trained to deal primarily with drugs offenders and they would have new powers to use drug treatment and testing orders known as DTTOs.

Mr Hellawell said: "It is through treatment and education that we can help people to live healthy and crime-free lives.

"The Government is determined to tackle the problem of drug-related crime and the DTTO scheme will help achieve this aim."

The DTTO partnership will involve magistrates, the Probation Service, voluntary and employment bodies and health and housing specialists.

The move comes following the success of pilot projects across Britain. Offenders on the DTTO pilots were, at the time of arrest, spending an average of £400 a week on drugs and committing crime to finance their habit.

After only a short time on the programme the same people were spending £30 a week on banned substances.

Mr Hellawell said: "Our aim must be to respond quickly and effectively to help those misusing drugs and also to support those living with, or caring for them.

"Access to treatment programmes is important to help people overcome the problems of drug abuse. We have got criminal justice together with treatment - it is strength with compassion."

Drugs campaigners - Mr Hellawell with Essex Chief Probation Officer Liz Hill

Picture: STEPHANIE MACKRILL

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.