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Background and rationale

The national strategy document, ‘Changing Scotland’s Relationship with Alcohol: A Framework for Action’ outlined the Government’s commitment to conducting a review of current plans and practice for the identification and treatment of offenders with alcohol problems in criminal justice settings and to identify good practice. It also committed to funding research on the delivery of alcohol brief interventions (ABIs) in settings outwith the NHS such as in criminal justice.

Aims and objectives

The aim of this study is to monitor and evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the delivery of alcohol brief interventions in the community justice setting (probation or community service) for recently convicted offenders with the following key objectives:

• To identify alcohol problems among offenders within community justice and the impact of screening and delivery of an alcohol brief intervention on alcohol consumption for those drinking at harmful and hazardous levels
• To explore the experiences of staff and clients directly involved in the delivery of screening and ABIs in community justice for recently convicted offenders
• To determine the feasibility of the process implementation model adopted
• To identify barriers to implementation of the screening and ABI
• To identify and report on the perceived workforce development requirements
• To explore and report on the resource and cost implications of implementing screening and ABI within existing practice
• To assess potential impact on criminal justice services should a wider roll-out of this pilot be undertaken.

Methods and timeframe

The methods combine elements of quantitative and qualitative approaches and will be conducted in three pilot sites. The study commenced in September 2009.

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