Full-term Evaluation of South Lanarkshire Alcohol and Drug Problem-Solving Court

Pilot Overview Since 2019 Scotland has consistently had the highest drug death rate in Europe (National Records of Scotland, 2025a). In response, South Lanarkshire (SL) Justice Social Work (JSW), in partnership with Hamilton Sheriff Court (HSC), launched Scotland’s first Alcohol and Drug Problem Solving Court (ADPSC). Awarded Drugs Mission Funding, administered via the Corra Foundation, the pilot ran from December 2023 till December 2025. Additional funding from the Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP), and Digital Lifeline (DL) was also made available. Adhering to multiagency collaboration, SL JWS dedicated Recovery Orientated Justice Service (ROJS), adopted a blended statutory and third sector service provision to provide a trauma-informed approach, within a public health model, to recovery for those whose contact with criminal justice is primarily driven by underlying causes of substance use. Once placed on a Structured Deferred Sentence (SDS), service users contribute to their own individualised recovery-oriented treatment. The 2024 mid-term report noted considerable success. Yet despite a further 13% fall in drug deaths nationally, Scotland nonetheless remains drug death capital of Europe with 191 drug deaths per million people (National Records of Scotland, 2025a).

Aims and Objectives
The pilot has several overarching objectives. Corra Foundation objectives are as follows:

- to measure both the systemic and individual impact of the ADPSC.

In addition, SL JSW Smart Objectives, aligned to Scottish Government Logic Model six priority areas to reduce drug deaths and harms, will be reported on as specified:

- 85% of service users who use substances to be provided pathways into wider employment, health and welfare opportunities.
- 70% of service users on Structured Deferred Sentence (SDS) disposals sustaining and completing their period of support.
- 90% of service users provided with medically assisted treatment and/or recovery plans in conjunction with access to community-oriented recovery networks.
- 85% of service user families with lived experience to be provided with advice and support in the recovery journey.

SL JSW High Level Objectives will also be reported. High Level objectives are as follows:

- To reduce drug and alcohol related deaths South Lanarkshire.
- Reduce the volume of Community Payback Order (CPO) breaches and noncompletion.
- Prevent those in conflict with the law proceeding further into the justice system.
- Reduce the use of remand and short-term custodial sentencing.
- Provide long term SDS options for those with problematic drug and alcohol use.

The ROJS work in tandem with service users to develop individualised treatment and rehabilitation plans. Individually tailored programs are supported by a dedicated court process through court imposed SDS. Service user criteria are as follows:

- Hold residency within SL boundary.
- Aged between 25-55 years of age.
- At risk of custody.
- Have a drug use dependency or regular use that contributes to offending (this can include alcohol but not solely).
- Motivated to engage with a SDS for between 6-9 months and undertake an appropriate treatment plan which may or may not be medically assisted.

Note, generally individuals currently in breach of a CPO are not suitable for SDS. On an exceptional basis, an individual in breach of a CPO could be recommended as suitable for inclusion where it is assessed that they are motivated to engage and there are unmet needs which require intensive support to overcome engagement barriers. The exceptional basis upon which such a recommendation is made requires to be fully addressed in the suitability assessment report provided to the court.

Research Methods
The evaluation adopted a mixed methods approach to research design. This included using qualitative and quantitative methods to gather, analyse and report findings. Qualitative methods captured a total of 33 participant experiences. This included 25 interviews, four questionnaires, four sets of written feedback from a single court observation and documentary analysis. Note, six of the total 33 participants were intervened on two separate occasions. The sample included SL JSW social workers, support workers, third sector workers, nurse, service users, service user family members, and sheriffs. Quantitative data presented in the report was gathered from a) a larger body of statistical data held by SL council on service users, and b) statistical data provided by SACRO. A documentary analysis of 5 the screening documents, updated reports and court referral sheets was carried out as part of this process.

Findings and Recommendations
Findings for the report have been analysed in line with overarching objectives. In relation to Corra Foundation objectives, it was found that SL ADPSC had systemic and individual success. At the time of data analysis (November 2025) for the full-term report there had been a total of 57 service users placed on SDS within the pilot timeframe. 25 service users had completed their period on SDS: nine were successfully admonished. 16 service users were still enrolled on SDS. While a further 16 service users had their SDS revoked. It should be noted that these figures only represent SL data and that the ADPSC also had SDS cases operating at this time for North Lanarkshire (NL) JSW also. However, for the purposes of the remit of this report only SL cases are considered. Both qualitative and statistical data reported improvements in the lives of service users, with offending and substance use generally decreasing for most service users. In accordance with SL JSW Smart Objectives:

- 100% of service users on SDS who use substances had been provided pathways into either wider employment, housing, and some form of health and welfare opportunities.
- 72% of service users on SDS disposal were sustaining or had completed their period of support.
- 90% of service users received medically assisted treatment and/or recovery plans in conjunction with access to community-oriented recovery networks.
- 100% of service user families with lived experience had been provided with advice and support in the recovery journey. Note, the numerical figure may change significantly dependent upon definitions and measurements used (See Discussion chapter).

In relation to SL JSW High Level Objectives:

- SL has been a 10% decline in drug deaths since 2023. The report is limited in its capacity to conclude the specific impact that the ADPSC had on this figure. However, given that treatment, management and reduction of substance use has inevitably reduced the risk of drug and alcohol-related harms amongst the sample population to have received SDS, it can be assumed some impact has been made by the ADPSC.
- Only 28% of those on SDS had been removed due to breach and non-completion.
- Of those on SDS, 72% were prevented from further proceeding into the justice system, with 22% of this sample being successfully admonished.
- There was an overall reduction in the use of remand and short-term custodial sentencing for service users on SDS.
- Given current success, SDS should be made available as a long-term option to address offending caused by underlying substance issues.

Data indicates the ADPSC to have made a positive contribution to the wider criminal justice system and to the lived experience of service users on SDS. Several recommendations are given:

• SL JSW are currently meeting set objectives and, in some cases, surpassing these objectives. Wider drug death rates have decreased 10% in SL. Any statistically significant impact which the ADPSC directly had on this success is difficult to quantify, yet qualitative evidence suggests ROJS have intervened with lifesaving treatment on a number of occasions. It can be assumed, given the cohort of service user which ROJS staff work with, and that intervention has taken place, the service will have had some impact on these decrease in drug death rates. Therefore, it is strongly recommended the ADPSC be continued and if possible, rolled out to other, relevant, local authorities.

• In line with wider academic literature on problem solving courts, ongoing evaluation of the service should be maintained. This can be external or internal. This would allow measurable success and necessary adjustments to be made if/when required.

• The ADPSC employed a multiagency collaborative approach to support service user treatment and recovery. Given different organisations have their own diary systems, it is recommended that a single electronic diary system be introduced whereby joined up services can access staff dairies. Currently, staff rely on a voluntarily provided paper system.

• SL JSW should also consider, in the longer term, commissioning longitudinal research to explore potential correlations between the nature of the treatment and support offered to service users and the reduction in the number of remand and short-term custodial sentences issued in SL [this again being dependent on additional funding being awarded to SJ JSW to continue operating the ADPSC beyond its funded current period].

• Currently there is no dedicated service to provide support, treatment and aid recovery for mental health issues within the ADPSC. The ADPSC should consider employing a mental 7 health specialist or, in accordance with suggestions from wider literature on problem solving courts, operate a Mental Health Court.

• Housing was another prominent issue to come out of data findings. Collaboration with housing services should be strengthened to explore housing options for service users.

• Residential pathways were a huge success. Given the ROJS have more high tariff service users than initially anticipated, residential housing can play a vital part in the recovery process for those with entrenched substance use.