Written question asked by Lord Avebury (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Bassam of Brighton (Labour) on Wednesday, 8 February 2006.

Alcohol: Repeat Offenders

Question: What role alcohol plays in high-volume repeat offending; and whether the priority given to alcohol problems in the Prison Service is satisfactory.

Answer: Research has not examined the link specifically between high-volume repeat offending and alcohol consumption. The National Offender Management Service has developed a comprehensive alcohol strategy for prisoners. Detoxification is available on reception in all local and remand prisons. Some prisons run alcohol awareness courses and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) run groups in around 50 per cent. of prisons. Additionally, general offending behaviour programmes address the underlying causal factors, which occur in alcohol-related crime.

Secondary information