DHI criminal justice services provide support for people with problematic substance use and other needs, at all stages of their journey through the criminal justice system from arrest through to post sentence. We support recovery and enable successful engagement with
treatment and other key services.
To help people thrive within their community, we recognise barriers that can make people vulnerable to non engagement or offending behaviour. These may include issues with substances, neurodiversity, mental health, and gender specific issues. We work flexibly and creatively to improve the chances for people involved in offending behaviour to make positive changes, so that lives are improved and communities are safer.
Supportive Pathways:
Embedded into local communities, our staff work with other organisations to address each of the nine supportive pathways, to assist people involved with the criminal justice system with their rehabilitation in the community.
These are:
- Drugs
- Alcohol
- Accommodation
- Finance, benefits, and debt
- Mental and physical health
- Children and families
- Attitudes, thinking and behaviour
- Education, training, and employment
- Women: domestic abuse and sex work
1. Providing appointments for the Advice Support Custody Court Service service to refer people at the point of arrest directly to the team.
2. Offering a Prison In-Reach and “meet at the gate” service.
3. Providing appointments on release in collaboration with other involved organisations, including Prescribers, Probation, Reconnect and Housing to reduce the need for multiple appointments.
4. Giving advice and interventions to minimise the harm and impact of problematic drug and alcohol use, including support accessing BBV testing, Naloxone and Needle Exchange.
5. Providing an opportunity for family members to access support through our families and
carers services.
6. Offering a structured and evidence based programme of accessible community Drug and Alcohol treatment for people at all stages in their journey, including 1:1 and group meetings.
7. Offering Peer led activities.
8. Providing a safe space for Women.
9. SMART ‘Inside Out’ Mutual Aid Programme facilitated by a Peer with lived experience of the prison system and issues with substances *held in Bristol.
10. Being available to local courts to assess for Community Sentence Treatment Requirements.
11. Providing a robust package of support for community treatment orders including Drug Rehabilitation, Alcohol Treatment Requirements and Primary Mental Health Treatment Requirements.
12. The opportunity to train as a Peer and work with our team, including during a prison sentence, ready to enter into voluntary work on release.
A key worker is allocated to each individual as their point of contact throughout their treatment
programme. Working with the individual and other involved parties, we co-design person centred support plans. As part of this person centred and multi-agency approach, we identify the best way to support each person on their treatment journey.
All referrals for individuals involved in the Criminal Justice System, living in Bristol BNES or South Glos, with a Drug or Alcohol treatment need are referred via the CJ SPOCS, including DRR’s and ATR’s.
To make a referral, or for more information and referral criteria, please email or call the relevant
CJ SPOC:
bristolcjit@dhi-online.org.uk.cjsm.net
bathcjit@dhibath.org.uk.cjsm.net
southgloscjit@dhi-online.org.uk.cjsm.net
MHTR’s: avonmhtr@dhi-online.org.uk.cjsm.net
