Key facts
- Drug diversion schemes are more effective at reducing reoffending than prosecution, a study found.
- Individuals in diversion schemes were one-third less likely to reoffend.
- The research covered over 62,000 criminal incidents across 13 English police forces.
- Diversion schemes are currently underutilized, even in forces with established programs.
- Black individuals and those in deprived neighborhoods were less likely to be diverted.
- Experts suggest full decriminalization and regulation as more effective than diversion.
Drug diversion schemes, which redirect individuals caught with drugs away from the criminal justice system and towards treatment and education, are significantly more effective at reducing reoffending than prosecution, according to a new analysis. The four-year study, examining over 62,000 criminal incidents across 13 English police forces, found that individuals managed through diversion were one-third less likely to reoffend compared to those prosecuted for similar offenses.
Led by Professor Alex Stevens of the University of Sheffield, the research, funded by the Cabinet Office's evaluation accelerator fund, suggests that police forces can confidently expand these schemes. Commander Alison Heydari of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) affirmed the commitment to alternatives to prosecution through the national out-of-court resolutions strategy.
However, the study revealed that diversion is being underutilized, with officers often choosing not to divert eligible offenders. Professor Stevens noted that increased use of diversion could reduce costs and court pressures. Jason Kew, a former DCI, suggested developing specialist pathways for women within these schemes to reduce female incarceration and support community health.
Conversely, the report highlighted disparities, indicating that individuals in the most deprived neighborhoods and Black individuals were less likely to be diverted than white people for similar offenses. Professor Kojo Koram argued that diversion schemes, while a step away from criminalization, are a limited policy compared to full decriminalization and regulation, which he noted are being adopted elsewhere. Steve Rolles of Transform Drug Policy Foundation suggested that diversion allows governments to gain benefits of decriminalization without fully embracing it, and that it does not address the harms of the illegal drug trade.