The treatments available are:

» Drug treatment 

» Alcohol treatment 

» Mental health treatment

To order any of these treatments the court must have your permission and you must be aged 18 or over.

Drug treatment
If the court decides that you have a drug problem you can be sentenced to the Drug Rehabilitation Requirement. There are three levels, low medium and high intensity, and you will have been assessed beforehand to see what is the right treatment for you and you will begin this straight away. You may undergo treatment for up to three years (two years for a suspended sentence).

Drug treatment consists of:

» Day care 

» Counselling 

» Substitute prescribing and detoxification 
» Residential rehabilitation

Your order will not consist of all of these four elements. It may consist of two or three depending upon your needs. You will attend appointments with both your treatment provider and your offender manager during the order and you will also be tested for drugs.

Alcohol treatment
If the court decides that you have a problem with alcohol you may be sentenced to this requirement. You will receive counselling and other treatment for up to three years (2 years for suspended sentence order) to help you combat your problem.

You will attend at least 12 appointments with your treatment provider and your offender manager during your order. They will help you to withdraw from alcohol through counselling/motivational sessions and treatment. They will keep an eye on your progress and recommend further session if they think that you need them.

Mental health treatment
On the recommendation of a registered medical practitioner, the Court can include a mental health requirement. The Court can only include such a requirement with your consent and will need to be satisfied that the treatment will be suitable for you.

Your offender manager will discuss the treatment programme with you in more detail.

See also Understanding your Sentence on the cjsonline website