Risks and responses: drug prevention and youth justice

The aim of the two projects was to explore the efficacy of providing services within the context of youth justice. A total of 113 clients were seen by drug workers. Background data were collected on all 113, and 30 were interviewed. In addition, interviews were conducted with the two drugs workers at various stages during the course of the research, with members of the two youth justice teams and with representatives of other agencies in the two areas. There were no clear findings on the impact of the drug workers’ efforts on young offenders’ drug use. However, contact with the drug workers was well received by young offenders and appeared to lead to positive changes in terms of young offenders’ drug use. Managers of the youth justice workers viewed the addition of a drug worker to their team as an overwhelmingly positive development. The drug workers changed how the team members worked and youth justice workers were more confident about identifying and responding to drug use among their clients. Notes, tables, references, appendixes