• Research project shows that residential drug and alcohol treatment programs for youth reduces crime and makes communities safer
• The study is one of the first to show a decrease in crime over the long-term following a youth drug treatment program
• The findings are a call to governments to move away from ‘tough-on-crime’ approaches and towards a health and harm reduction response

A Charles Sturt University researcher argues that with current community concern about youth crime in Alice Springs and elsewhere, governments should invest more in appropriate youth intervention programs.

Lead author of the study Dr Tyson Whitten, researcher and Lecturer in Criminal Justice in the Charles Sturt Centre for Law and Justice, said this is likely to produce greater long-term crime reduction than custodial criminal justice strategies.

While custodial criminal justice strategies tend to be associated with an increased risk of reoffending among young people, a recently published multi-agency study he led found that young people with extensive criminal histories benefited the most from treatment.

“Our study found that the young people had an average of 4.36 fewer convictions over five years post-referral than comparable young people who did not attend treatment,” Dr Whitten said.

The researchers from Charles Sturt University, the University of New South Wales (Sydney), Griffith University (QLD) and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) examined the impact of the Ted Noffs Foundation Program for Adolescent Life Management (PALM) – a residential drug and alcohol treatment service focusing on adolescents with drug and crime-related issues.

The findings, recently published in the Journal of Criminal Justice, found residential drug treatment programs may reduce future criminal convictions among young people who have an increasing conviction history prior to referral for drug dependence.

“Our study used ‘big data’ from linked administrative records to estimate the impact of treatment on subsequent convictions among young people referred to a modified therapeutic community for serious alcohol and drug related difficulties located in New South Wales,” Dr Whitten said.

The researchers used ‘trajectory modelling’ based on administrative records of more than 3,000 young people from the program and the health and justice system.

The researchers found young people with a history of being convicted more than once for criminal offences at a young age benefited the most in terms of future crime reduction.

Dr Whitten said these findings hold important implications for prevention and diversion away from the criminal justice system, particularly among young people in regional Australia.

“Unfortunately, youth in regional Australia tend to be overrepresented in youth detention centres and are more likely to experience problems with drugs and alcohol,” he said.

“The impact on serious conviction was marked, with an average of four fewer convictions five years after treatment compared to those who dropped out early before 30 days. This is a massive win for these young people and the community.”

An expert in youth residential treatment who is a co-author of the study and Chief Operating Officer at Ted Noffs Foundation, Mr Mark Ferry, said, “Diverting young people from the criminal justice system to services that address their underlying needs is integral to reducing youth crime.

“It’s so easy for governments to increase spending on detention centres, but they are far from being a silver bullet.

“Youth detention is expensive and does not significantly reduce recidivism whereas this study shows that treatment not only saves money and lives, it reduces crime and makes our community safer.”

Dr Whitten said the findings come at a critical time, given rising concerns about crime as well as mental health, homelessness and alcohol and drug issues among young people.

“The findings are a call to move away from ‘tough-on-crime’ approaches and towards a health and harm reduction response,” he said.

“More attention should be placed on addressing social determinants – the factors around young people that may lead them to commit crime.

“Other evidence from the research team suggests that as little as one month in a therapeutic community may help reduce drug use, psychological distress, and involvement in crime more generally.”

This study contributes to the body of work showing residential alcohol and drug treatment programs for young people have a range of benefits, which include improving mental health, reducing suicides and self-harm as well as hospitalisations.

“Our research is evidence that residential alcohol and drug treatment programs for young people can reduce criminal convictions if young people stay 30 days or more in the program,” Dr Whitten said.

“While recommendations are often made for continuing support post-discharge to ensure the benefits of the formal treatment program are sustained long-term, the evidence is scarce.”

The next stage of the research will investigate whether ongoing care may further impact convictions and other outcomes post-treatment.

The Program for Adolescent Life Management (PALM) is a modified therapeutic community run by the Ted Noffs Foundation. It provides young people with problematic drug use with services and support that can divert them from the criminal justice system.

The program is ‘holistic’ in its approach, focusing on broader issues in young people’s lives beyond their drug use and involvement in crime. It’s tailored for each young person to develop skills and support for life outside the program.