“My life and outlook has improved 100%. SPODA is a wonderful organisation without their help I would be struggling emotionally."


Families and carers of offenders

Substance use can sometimes lead to contact with the Criminal Justice System for the substance user. Families are often the first victims of crime – things may start to go missing from the home and often, if the substance use becomes problematic, then police, probation, youth offending teams, courts and often prison, can all become a problem for the family.

Faced with this situation families and carers will often ask many questions which might include:
  • What has she/he done?
  • What does the law say?
  • DTTO! DRR! Arrest referral - What do they all mean?
  • How will I/we cope – if this means a prison sentence?
  • What will happen to her/him while she/he is in prison?
  • Is there any help for drug users in prison?
  • I don’t know anything about how to go on visits – what do I/we do?
  • What about after she/he is released?
These are only some of the questions that we at SPODA have had to respond to in supporting families and carers who find themselves in this situation when being involved with the criminal justice system due to a loved one’s drug/s use.

This involvement may lead to a journey in which families, carers and the drug user may find themselves being overwhelmed with the processes involved – often without making any clear sense of what has happened.

At SPODA, we will support you by walking that journey with you, helping to make sense of what has happened which, in turn, will help in getting your needs met.
“We have been educated in all aspects of drugs and their effects together with being given overdose resuscitation training”



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