Whilst the evidence about the effectiveness of treatment may be clear, drug workers often argue that they can only work effectively with those who are motivated to change. By implication, using the criminal justice system to coerce people into treatment is doomed to failure. The studies are not totally consistent, but the 'majority verdict' is that coercion provides a viable mechanism for retention in treatment. In deploying coercion in this way, it is important to ensure that people always retain a choice to opt out of treatment. Even if coerced by the threat of punishment, it is important that people decide to engage in treatment, rather than face outright compulsion.
Compulsory treatment involves the removal of choice and decision-making.
It seems an inappropriate way of tackling drug dependency. There is now increasing emphasis on exploiting the criminal justice system as a route to treatment. We have mounted several evaluations of such schemes for the Home Office. In England and Wales, considerable resources are now devoted to arrest referral schemes, through which offenders with drug problems are encouraged to seek treatment at the end of the arrest process. The schemes which we have evaluated are promising.