A Reading List on Reducing Drug-Related Crime through Evidence-Backed Policy and Practice
As justice systems increasingly shift their focus from punishment to rehabilitation, it becomes essential to understand the complex relationship between substance use, criminal behaviour, and treatment, particularly among individuals whose involvement with the system stems from substance use. The reading list brings together key resources that offer insights into research-backed substance use treatment practices in justice settings, and the effectiveness of diversion strategies in reducing recidivism and supporting recovery. These resources provide valuable insights into building a more humane, effective, health-informed justice system.
Effective Interventions for Substance Use in Justice Settings
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Assessment and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders in Jails
🔗 Read here
This chapter from the “Handbook of Mental Health Assessment and Treatment in Jails” offers best practices for professionals conducting assessments and delivering substance use treatments in jail settings. It highlights key challenges and considerations for providing substance use disorder services in jails. -
Interventions to Reduce Harms Related to Drug Use Among Incarcerated People
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A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis assessing which interventions effectively reduce health and criminal justice harms for people who use substances in the justice setting.
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Providing Substance Use Disorder Treatment in Justice Settings: Knowledge Gaps and Proposed Research Priorities
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This overview and commentary discuss the current knowledge deficits and propose a future research agenda to improve drug treatment in prisons and jails.
Justice Diversion Strategies: Evidence from Police and Court Interventions
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Police-Led Diversion at Arrest: A Systematic Review of the Literature
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This review evaluates the effectiveness of police-led diversion programmes that redirect individuals with drug-related offences away from incarceration toward diagnostic treatment and recovery support services.
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National Institute of Justice’s Courts Research: Examining Alternatives to Incarceration for Veterans and Other Policy Innovation
🔗 Read here
This article reviews research conducted by the United States’ National Institute of Justice, on reducing drug-related crime, especially the Veterans Treatment Court, and highlights findings and policy implications for using courts to support rehabilitation over imprisonment for use. -
Drug Treatment Courts in Canada: An Evidence-Based Review with Recommendations for Improvement
This policy brief by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction reviews the effectiveness of Drug Treatment Courts (DTCs) in Canada. It highlights key limitations in current DTC practices and provides comprehensive recommendations to improve outcomes, treatment quality, and alignment with public health principles.
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Reducing Drug-Use–Related Offenses Through Health-Centered Approaches
🔗 Watch the webinar here
This webinar explores how therapeutic justice and diversion strategies—including treatment courts, deflection, and rehabilitation models—can reduce drug-related offending by addressing substance use as a public health issue.
Addressing drug-related crime requires moving beyond punitive responses toward approaches that recognise substance use as both a health and social issue. The resources in this reading list highlight research-based strategies—such as treatment, diversion, and rehabilitation—that can reduce recidivism, support access to care and recovery, and strengthen community safety. By integrating public health and justice perspectives, policymakers and practitioners can develop more effective and humane responses to drug-related offenses.
