Responding to HM Inspectorate of Probation’s report exposing the lack of specialist drug treatment for people on probation, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse MP said: “The Conservatives abject failure to tackle the causes of crime is making our communities less safe.
“We know that effective drug treatment – both in prison and in the community – is crucial for stopping people from reoffending. We know that drug-related crime costs taxpayers £9 billion every year. So why won’t the Government invest what is needed to treat drug addiction and stop more people becoming victims of crime?
“Sadly, Conservative Ministers are spending too much time trying to sound tough on crime, and not doing what will actually work to prevent it.
“To break the cycle of reoffending, we must turn prisons into places of recovery and rehabilitation, and ensure that people get the treatment they need while on probation too. We must also tackle the childhood trauma that often drives both drug use and offending, and causes lasting damage throughout people’s lives.”