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Prison system came ‘ dangerously close to collapse ’, says review
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Capacity pressures on the prison system brought it ‘ dangerously close to total collapse ’ last year , says the interim report of former justice secretary David Gauke ’ s Independent sentencing review . The prison population has grown rapidly over the last 30 years , says the document , largely the result of prison sentences being ‘ lengthened substantially by successive governments ’.
The review ’ s final report will be published in the spring and will set out recommendations to ensure that the demand for prison places does not exceed supply and is ‘ sustainable in the longer term ’.
Mandatory minimum sentences were introduced in 1997 for a range of offences , the report points out , including a minimum of seven years for third class A drug trafficking offence . The document includes case studies from places where the prison population has significantly fallen in recent years , including
THE ANTI-DIABETIC AND ANTI- OBESITY DRUG semaglutide could be used to reduce alcohol cravings , according to new US research . The ‘ blockbuster ’ drug , which is sold under the brand name Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss , could also ‘ help people cut down on their alcohol intake ’, say researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine .
Weekly injections of semaglutide reduced ‘ alcohol craving , drinking quantity and the frequency of heavy drinking days ’ for people with alcohol use disorder when compared with placebo injections ,
Spain , the Netherlands and Texas , all of which have reformed their drug sentencing policies .
In an op ed column for the New Statesman Gauke stated that measures to ease the ‘ great strain ’ on the probation system could include wider use of ‘ drug , alcohol and mental health treatments ’, and while there is ‘ encouraging evidence that problem-solving courts are effective in rehabilitating offenders ' we have ' very few of them . Relatively small sums of money ( compared to the prison budget ) could do much more to reduce reoffending .’ A report from the Prison Reform Trust last month found that less than half of prison leavers had settled accommodation on their release .
‘ This is not simply a crisis of prison capacity ,’ said director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform , Andrew Neilson . ‘ Our overcrowded and violent prisons are breeding grounds for crime , while probation services are overstretched and under-resourced
Weight-loss drug could reduce alcohol cravings
according to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry . Researchers recruited 48 adults with alcohol use disorder who were not actively seeking treatment and randomly assigned them to either the semaglutide group or placebo group . Not only did those in the semaglutide group consume less alcohol in a lab setting , but clinical assessments also showed reductions in weekly alcohol craving , the number of heavy drinking days and the average number of drinks consumed .
‘ A key finding was that the magnitude of semaglutide ’ s effects on several drinking
‘ This is not simply a crisis of prison capacity .’
ANDREW NEILSON
within the community . We welcome these findings from the review and look forward to proposals to reset the system . Action cannot come quickly enough if we are to achieve a sustainable and more effective course for prisons and probation in the future .’
Independent sentencing review at www . gov . uk / government / publications / independentsentencing-review-history-andtrends-in-sentencing
outcomes appeared potentially greater than is often seen in similar studies with existing AUD [ alcohol use disorder ] medications , even though semaglutide was only administered at the lowest clinical doses ,’ the researchers state .
Although ‘ exciting ’ the data is preliminary and there is a ‘ need to learn more ,’ says the research team , including further studies to evaluate long-term effect on alcohol consumption as well as the ideal doses and treatment durations – which ‘ may be different from the current recommendations for people living with diabetes and obesity ’.
Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with alcohol use disorder : a randomized clinical trial available at https :// jamanetwork . com / journals / jamapsychiatry
COMMUNITY HUB Via recently hosted local partners and community leaders at its Newbury hub for an open day to highlight the support available to local people . ‘ We ’ re proud to partner with Via ,’ West Berkshire Council ’ s director of public health , Matt Pearce , told the guests . ‘ The work they do is a game changer .’
MOVING FORWARD Around 400 people attended the Forward Trust ’ s recent National Reunion in Hackney . The annual event ‘ serves as a reminder as to why we at Forward do the work we do ,’ said recovery support team leader Joshua Thetford . ‘ Our service users are an inspiration to us as staff , and the reason we work so hard – it is an honour to work with every single one of them .’
STRONG SUIT A new series of films from Wolverhamptonbased SUIT premiered at the Wolves Literature Festival and will be released weekly on the team ’ s YouTube channel . ‘ We hope the films will be used as a creative resource for other clients in recovery , clinical treatment services , agencies , and staff to draw upon ,’ says SUIT . See the first , ‘ Down the Rabbit Hole ’, at www . youtube . com /@ ServiceUserInvolvementTeam
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