Community Sentence Treatment Requirements
This is a partnership between the Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement, Public Health England and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.
Many people who offend experience mental health and substance misuse problems, but the use of treatment requirements as part of a Community Order or Suspended Sentence Order remains low.
Community Sentence Treatment Requirements offer treatment to address offending behaviour with the aim of reducing reoffending and offer an alternative to short custodial sentences. They can also be used in combination to address mental health and substance misuse issues and to support the completion of other community order requirements.
The three treatment requirements are:
- Mental Health Treatment Requirements (MHTRs
- Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (DRRs – which includes drug testing)
- Alcohol Treatment Requirements (ATRs)
Age 18+
- Convicted of an offence which falls within the CO/SSO sentencing threshold and presents with mental health, substance misuse and associated vulnerabilities
- Requirement of treatment related to mental health and/or substance misuse
- Expressed willingness to comply with the requirement (consent) and a provider is willing to oversee the requirement
DRRs, ATRs and secondary care mental health treatment requirements are available to every court in England.
NHS England are introducing new primary care MHTRs on a site basis and are on track to achieve 100% coverage by 2023/24. These will offer treatment for convicted individuals with lower levels of mental health need.
Please approach your local Probation Court Team to access Community Sentence Treatment Requirements.