West Mercia PCC launches new crime prevention programme for drug offenders
DIVERT aims to encourage drug offenders away from committing more serious crimes
A new crime prevention programme has launched in West Mercia to "break the cycle" of drug offenders entering the criminal justice system.
Funded by West Mercia's PCC, DIVERT take a preventative approach to people who engage in minor drug activity.
It has been developed and rolled out by the charity Cranstoun who specialise in delivering services for substance misuse and help with the criminal justice system.
The programme will offer people who have been found with a small amount of drugs in their possession to take part in a 4 hour course.
It will help them identify why they may be misusing drugs and provide them with strategies and support to change their mindset and behaviour.
The programme can also provide support for other issues like housing and mental health, and refer to more specialised drug rehabilitation services if the person needs extra support.
John Campion, West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "87% of those who engaged in the programme in the West Midlands did not re-offend within six months.
"This is not just about intervening with someone once and then letting them get on with their lives
"It's actually that more wider engagement where we will work with someone to help them understand their offender behaviour."
The programme is delivered virtually which means it can be accessed by people in more rural communities across West Mercia.
John added: "Rural inclusion is not just about economic activity it's also about health.
"We can do much more virtually than we ever have been able to in the past.
"Bringing this kind of service to our rural communities is a really innovative but also impactful way to help cut crime and harm in our isolated communities."