Road Safety Courses for Drink-Drive Offenders Working Group Annual Report 2011

Transcription

1 Road Safety Courses for Drink-Drive Offenders Working Group Annual Report 2011

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3 Courses for Drink-Drive Offenders Annual Report 2011 January 2013

4 Contents Page Executive Summary 1 1. Introduction 3 2. Delivery of Courses in Northern Ireland 2.1 Attending a Course TTC Course Policy Course Fees Course Completions 7 3. Performance Indicators 3.1 Referral Rate Take Up Rate Reconviction Rates Pre and Post Course Questionnaires The CDDO Working Group 4.1 Membership Role of the Working Group Summary of Meetings 15 Annex A: List of NI Course Venues up to December

5 Executive Summary Introduction Drink drive courses are currently used as a sentencing option in courts in Northern Ireland. These are voluntary and offenders receive a reduction of up to 25% in the period of disqualification on successful completion. In 2011, 68 courses were delivered by Telford Training Consultants (TTC) in ten locations across Northern Ireland. A total of 747 people completed a course. The CDDO Working Group The Courses for Drink Drive Offenders (CDDO) Working Group has responsibility for overseeing and monitoring the delivery of the scheme throughout Northern Ireland. Its membership is drawn from a range of organisations with a role to play in the rehabilitation of offenders including Road Safety and Vehicle Regulation Division DOE; Analytical Services Branch DOE; the Police Service of Northern Ireland; the NI Courts and Tribunals Service; the Public Prosecution Service; and the DOE s Driver Vehicle Agency as well as TTC. The Group met on four occasions in 2011 and dealt with a range of issues relating to drink drive educational interventions generally and the Courses for Drink Drive Offenders scheme specifically. Performance Indicators The percentage of convicted drink drivers who were referred by a court to attend a course rose from 45% in 2010 to 46% in A list of the number of referrals by court is set out at page 9. 1 Convictions data for 2010 and 2011 was provided by Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) Statistics and Research Unit. The data reports the number of persons convicted for drink-driving offences (where persons were found guilty of at least one drink-driving offence). The Principal Offence rule HAS NOT - 1 -

6 The take-up rate (course attendees as a percentage of referrals) fell slightly from 58.2% (782 out of 1,344) in 2010 to 56.2% (747 out of 1,329) in 2011 although it should be noted that those referred, particularly in the last quarter of 2011, are likely to have completed a course in The Working Group noted this decrease and acknowledged that there is still much to do to attract more offenders, who have been referred by the courts, to avail of the opportunity to complete the course. The main criterion for determining if CDDOs are successful is whether offenders who attend a course are less likely to re-offend (within 3 years) than those who do not. The Northern Ireland Drink Driving Reconviction Analysis of those referred onto a Course for Drink Driving Offenders ( ) was published in September This analysis was based on referrals onto a course between 1 January 2001 and 30 June 2006 and any further convictions up to 30 June The full report is available from _report.pdf. 2 been applied. The Principal Offence rule means data is collated on only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged. 2 The Northern Ireland Drink Driving Reconviction Analysis of those referred onto a Course for Drink Driving Offenders ( ) was published in September 2010 and is available at

7 1. Introduction The Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 provided for an experiment in the use of rehabilitation schemes for drinkdrivers. Courts in designated areas were given powers to reduce the period of disqualification (up to a maximum of 25%) if the offender satisfactorily completed a rehabilitation course approved by the Department of the Environment (DOE) for Northern Ireland. The aim of the experiment was to allow the use of such courses as a sentence mechanism to be evaluated in terms of their effectiveness in reducing drinking and driving. It was also intended to inform the decision to extend their use and make the scheme permanent. In late 1997 DOE drew up Guidance to Course Organisers setting out essential minimum requirements and standards for these courses and invited suitable organisations to apply to provide them. The Probation Board for NI was appointed by DOE as the sole course provider. The Northern Ireland (NI) Course for Drink Drive Offenders pilot scheme formally commenced on 1 April The designated courts were Belfast and Newtownabbey Magistrates Courts. Legislation was introduced on 1 January 2001 to extend the existing pilot scheme until 31 December On that same date, the Northern Ireland Court Service extended the authority to refer relevant offenders to attend the course to all Magistrates Courts in Northern Ireland. Following a very positive evaluation of reconviction rates in December 2004, DOE decided to make the scheme permanent. This was made effective by regulation from 1 January

8 A procurement competition for the role of course provider was carried out in The tender was awarded to Telford Training Consultants (TTC), who provide similar courses in Great Britain, with effect from 1 October Referral to courses is at the discretion of the District Judge (Magistrates Courts). It is up to the offender, or their legal representative, to ensure that the District Judge (Magistrates Courts) has the relevant facts to enable an informed decision on referral to be made. The offender decides whether or not to accept an offer of referral. 2. Delivery of Courses in Northern Ireland 2.1 Attending a Course To be eligible to attend a course, a person must be at least 17 years old and have been convicted of a relevant 3 drink-driving offence for which they have been disqualified from driving for 12 months or more. The court has the power to make a referral order for any offender whom it considers should be placed on a course. A person can decide whether to accept or reject the offer of a referral. Similarly, having accepted a referral a person may decide whether or not to attend a course. There is no penalty for not attending. 2.2 TTC 2000 Courses are delivered in Northern Ireland by TTC which is a national driver training organisation operating across the UK. TTC is a not-for- 3 A relevant conviction is one made under any of the following provisions of the Road Traffic (NI) Order 1995 Article 14 (causing death, or grievous bodily injury, by careless driving when under influence of drink or drugs), Article 15 (driving or being in charge when under influence of drink or drugs), Article 16 (driving or being in charge with excess alcohol) or Article 18 (failing to provide a specimen)

9 profit social enterprise with headquarters based in Telford and a regional office in Manchester. During 2011, TTC offered courses for drink drive offenders in ten venues in Northern Ireland (listed at Annex A). The company has a strict policy regarding venues which is part of their business planning philosophy and only uses local authority buildings or venues where hire fees will benefit the community. Since the award of the contract in 2008 TTC have donated two drink drive simulators to the NI Fire and Rescue Service. The portable simulators will be used at road safety events to improve driving skills and make young drivers more aware of hazards. TTC aim to provide maximum opportunities for referred offenders to undertake a course with them by providing: a prompt personalised letter within 48 hours of referral being received; course information for all venues in Northern Ireland; full office support Monday and Wednesday 8:30 am pm, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8.30am 6.00pm and Saturdays 9.00 am 1.00 pm; simplified procedures for booking on courses with telephone support to assist and accepting telephone bookings; prepaid envelopes; variety of course structures to maximise equality of opportunity i.e. weekdays and weekends; rural venues even when these are not financially viable; leaflets in magistrates courts; - 5 -

10 course materials and leaflets in a number of languages including Welsh, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Polish and Latvian; facilities for interpreters to attend courses with non-english speaking offenders; signers on courses, for hearing impaired offenders, at no cost; assistance with literacy issues on courses; printed materials only - no photocopies; professional work books: and completion packs that summarise important information from the course and information on how to apply for a licence, the High Risk Offenders (HRO) scheme and insurance companies who recognise the completion certificate. 2.3 Course Policy All course attendees must: complete all sessions; arrive on time; follow any reasonable instructions/requests from the trainer; participate/contribute within the sessions; respect and keep confidences shared on the course; not turn up for the course under the influence of alcohol or drugs; not consume alcohol or drugs before or during the course (including break times); not smoke during the course (smoking breaks are provided); ensure mobile phones and pagers are switched off; and - 6 -

11 show respect for others both in behaviour and language used. Measures are in place to ensure the attendee is the offender and not an imposter. 2.4 Course Fees Each attendee must pay the course fee. In 2011, the full fee was 155 and the concessionary fee was 110. The concessionary fee was offered to anyone over state pension age or on unemployment or incapacity/sickness benefit or full time students. To reduce the potential for cost to be a barrier to attendance at a course, TTC facilitate the payment of fees by instalment at no extra cost and do not insist that the full fee is paid for before commencement of the course. 2.5 Course Completions To successfully complete a course, a participant must attend all ten modules delivered over three sessions. On the few occasions when attendees have unavoidably missed a session due to personal circumstances, arrangements will be made to place the person on a new course. No more than two weeks after having completed the course, an attendee will be issued with a Certificate of Completion. This certificate is taken or sent to the sentencing court who will, in turn, notify licensing authorities at DVA as confirmation that, through attendance at the course, the attendee is eligible for the reduction in the period of disqualification as stated on his/her original Certificate of Conviction

12 Table 1: Courses and course completions during 2011, by venue Courses planned Courses cancelled Courses run Completions* Ballymena Belfast Coleraine Downpatrick Dungannon Enniskillen Londonderry Newry Omagh Portadown Totals * A total of 1,329 referrals were made in 2011 many of those will attend courses in During 2011, 68 courses were run throughout Northern Ireland, 26 in Belfast, 7 in Portadown, 6 in Ballymena and 5 in Enniskillen, Londonderry, Newry and Omagh, 4 in Coleraine and 3 in Dungannon and 2 in Downpatrick. These courses were completed by 747 people, of whom 300 (40%) attended in Belfast, 80 (11%) in Portadown, 68 (9%) in Ballymena, 64 (9%) in Newry, 52 (7%) in Omagh, 49 (7%) in Enniskillen, 47 (6%) in Londonderry, 35 (5%) in Coleraine, 30 (4%) in Dungannon and 22 (3%) in Downpatrick. Course completers were overwhelmingly male - 81% (602) are men as compared to 19% (145) women. Age band analysis shows that 16% of those completing the course were aged years, 79% were aged years and 4% were aged 65+ years. 3. Performance Indicators The success of the CDDO scheme can be judged by the extent to which the courts make referrals, whether these referrals actually

13 lead to places on courses being taken up, and, ultimately, whether offenders who attend a course are less likely to re-offend than those who do not. Further performance data is captured from the pre- and post- course questionnaires completed by each attendee. 3.1 Referral Rate Between 1 January and 31 December 2011 a total of 1,329 referrals were made. Court data obtained from the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) report that during , there were 2,902 convictions for relevant drink drive offences at courts throughout Northern Ireland. This is equivalent to a referral rate for the period 1 January to 31 December 2011 of approximately 46%. The referral rate for the same period in 2010 was 45%. During this period there were 2,996 convictions and 1,344 referrals made. A breakdown of the referral rate for each court venue (Magistrates Court and Crown Court) in Northern Ireland is included in Table 2 below. Referral rates are calculated using the 2011 data on convictions as provided by the NICTS Statistics and Research Unit and the number of referrals during 2011 provided by TTC. 4 Convictions data for 2010 and 2011 were provided by Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) Statistics and Research Unit. The data reports the number of persons convicted for drink-driving offences (where persons were found guilty of at least one drink-driving offence). The Principal Offence rule HAS NOT been applied. The Principal Offence rule means data is collated on only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged

14 Table 2: Referral rate, by court Court Convictions* 2011 Referrals 2011 Referral Rate (%) Antrim Armagh Ballymena Banbridge Bangor Coleraine Craigavon Downpatrick Dungannon Enniskillen Laganside Courts Larne Limavady Lisburn Londonderry Magherafelt Newry Newtownards Omagh Strabane TOTAL 2,902 1, * Convictions data source: NICTS Statistics and Research Unit. 3.2 Take Up Rate Of the 1,329 referrals made during 2011, a total of 747 (56%) took up and completed a course in some of those referred in the latter part of 2011 would have completed the course in The take-up rate recorded for the period 1 January to 31 December 2010 was 58%. 3.3 Reconviction Rates The main criterion for judging whether such schemes have been successful is whether offenders who attend a course are less likely to re-offend (within three years) than those who do not. A reconviction

15 study on those referred onto a course during the period 1 January June 2006 was carried out. This aimed to determine whether the CDDO has had any effect on the relative reconviction rates of those who were referred onto and completed a course, compared to those referred onto but who did not complete a course. Up to two years (24 months) after their original conviction, 1.9% of offenders who had completed a course had been reconvicted of a subsequent drink/drive offence, compared with 6.2% of those who did not complete a course. This represents a reconviction rate that is 3.3 times higher for offenders who did not complete a course compared with those who did. In GB twenty-four months after their original conviction, only 2% of offenders who had attended courses had been convicted of a subsequent drink/drive offence, compared with 6% of those who had not in the experimental courts. The re-offending rate of those who did not attend a course was 3 times the rate of those who did. In Northern Ireland up to three years (36 months) after their original conviction, 3.4% of offenders who had completed a course had been reconvicted of a subsequent drink/drive offence, compared with 8.0% of those who did not complete a course. This equates to a reconviction rate that is 2.3 times higher for offenders who did not complete a course compared with those who did. In GB thirty-six months after their original conviction, only 3.4% of offenders who had attended courses had been convicted of a subsequent drink/drive offence, compared with 9.6% of those who had not in the experimental courts. The re-offending rate of those

16 who did not attend a course was 2.8 times the rate of those who did, still very similar to the twenty-four month ratio. The effectiveness of the courses in NI appears to broadly reflect the experience in GB where it was similarly observed that the largest impact occurs in the first two years following initial conviction. 3.4 Pre and Post Course Questionnaires Attendees are asked to complete a pre- and post- course quiz questionnaire to determine their knowledge on the issues associated with drinking and driving. Headline results can be analysed to identify changes in levels of the participants understanding of the issues covered. Prior to the appointment of TTC, course attendees completed a questionnaire compiled by DOE. On appointment, TTC introduced a questionnaire already widely used in similar courses undertaken by TTC in Great Britain. For a period of time, attendees were asked to complete both the DOE and TTC questionnaire. During 2009 the CDDO Working Group took a decision to cease use of the DOE questionnaire when it became aware of its similarity to the TTC questionnaire. Instead, TTC agreed to complete a single summary sheet following the completion of each course. The summary would provide overall scores obtained on the alcohol knowledge pre- and post- quizzes, split by gender and age. It was acknowledged by the Group that this would lend itself to much quicker analysis by Analytic Services Branch (ASB). Results from the 2011 questionnaires were provided by TTC to ASB for analysis which is detailed below

17 All attendees are asked to complete a pre- and post-course Questionnaire and Alcohol Knowledge Quiz. The questionnaire/quiz asks respondents about their attitudes to drinking and driving and drink/drive legislation; their drinking behaviour; and their knowledge of alcohol and its effects on the body. During 2011, the 747 attendees who completed the course completed a full set of pre- and post-course quiz sheets which represents a 100% completion rate of pre and post quizzes. The attendees overall scores are recorded from the pre- and postquizzes. During 2011, the average score on the pre-course quiz was 16 out of a possible 30. On completion of the course the average score on the post-course quiz was 25 correct answers out of a possible 30. The figures remain the same as the average scores in Chart 1 Histogram illustrating pre course quiz scores

18 Chart 2 Histogram illustrating post course quiz scores Forty one percent of attendees (308) achieved a score of 15 or less in the pre course quiz. In contrast, after completing the quiz, 1% of attendees (8) obtained a score of 15 or less. Five attendees scored less on the post test when compared to their pre course test (0.6%). Over 98% of attendees scores improved between the pre and post quizzes, with over 59% improving their scores by 50% or more. 4. The CDDO Working Group The CDDO Working Group, established by DOE, has responsibility for overseeing and monitoring the delivery of the scheme throughout Northern Ireland

19 4.1 Membership Membership of the Working Group includes representatives from the following organisations: Road Safety and Vehicle Regulation Division (DOE) Chair and Secretariat; Analytical Services Branch (DOE); Public Prosecution Service; Police Service of Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service; Driver and Vehicle Agency; and TTC Role of the Working Group The Working Group s role is to: ensure the content and operation of courses are carried out in line with the terms and conditions stipulated in the current contract; ensure current activities and internal processes remain effective, agreeing or proposing corrective action as appropriate; in conjunction with course provider, seek to identify appropriate marketing and PR activity aimed at raising the profile of the scheme and thereby maintaining and/or increasing the referral and take-up rates; ensure the delivery of related action measures contained in the Road Safety Strategy to 2020;

20 ensure the effectiveness of the scheme is regularly measured and evaluated, namely, the proportion of convicted drink/drive offenders referred to the scheme by courts ( referral rate ); the proportion of referred offenders who go on to complete a course ( take-up rate ); and the effect of course attendance on convictions for a subsequent drink/drive offence ( reconviction rate ); consider 1) the annual reports on the operation of the CDDO scheme and 2) periodic reconviction rate analyses reports produced by Analytical Services Branch; consider, on an ongoing basis, how best drink driving in Northern Ireland can be reduced through the use of remedial training; and consider how best drink driving in Northern Ireland can be reduced through other measures. 4.3 Summary of Meetings The Working Group met on four occasions in 2011: 15 March 2011; 21 June 2011; 21 September 2011; and 13 December A summary of each meeting was prepared and agreed at the subsequent meeting. A range of issues were subject to the attention of the Working Group including:

21 Referral Rates options to increase awareness of the benefits of completing a course and, consequently, improving referral rates were discussed. TTC, guided by representatives of the Public Prosecution Service and NI Courts & Tribunals Service, continue to press for opportunities to raise awareness of CDDO among the legal profession. TTC produce an annual news leaflet that is circulated widely within the legal profession. In February 2011 the leaflet carried a message from the Minister of the Environment to highlight how effective courses have been in reducing re-offending and help raise awareness of the road safety benefits of attending a course. A two page article was included in the September/October 2011 edition of The Writ, a members magazine for solicitors in Northern Ireland. The Writ provides solicitors with up-to-date news and information about the law. The article highlighted that the offender, or his or her legal representative, must ensure that the district judge has all the facts necessary to make a referral onto a course for drink drive offenders and referred readers to TTC for more information. Mutual Recognition of Certificates of Completion while DOE had taken adequate legislative provision in the Road Traffic (NI) Order 2008 to enable a NI court to accept a Certificate of Completion from a GB course provider, it appeared that authorities in Great Britain had not taken similar provision. The Working Group was keen for DOE to continue to press GB authorities to provide for this as part of their plans to reform the Drink Drive Rehabilitation Scheme. High Risk Offenders The Group addressed concerns that some people convicted of drink driving may not be aware of their status as High Risk Offenders. To overcome this difficulty, TTC agreed to insert

22 additional information into their CDDO leaflets to promote the High Risk Offenders scheme. These leaflets are distributed widely and are given to individuals in police custody suites. Cost of Licence for HRO The Group was advised about changes to fees for HROs. From 31 May 2011 offenders will be asked to pay the full cost of a medical plus costs associated with the issue of a new licence 90 therefore full cost to an HRO to have their licence returned will be Highlighting re-test requirement to DVLA Examination of current procedures provided reassurances that sufficient measures were in place to ensure that DVLA were aware of the need to re-test GB drivers convicted of a drink drive offence in NI. Update on reducing Drink Drive limit in Northern Ireland Throughout the course of the year the Working Group was kept abreast of development of a new NI drink drive policy and legislation including drink drive limits, penalties, and police powers. Terms of Reference for Working Group Agreed Terms of Reference remain in place and membership of the group extended to include a representative from the PSNI. Conviction Data The lack of up-to-date conviction data was highlighted and work began to secure more recent figures that could be used in a published form. Mystery Shoppers TTC reported the development of an increased use of mystery shopper type scrutiny of training standards within the company

23 Quarterly Reports The Working Group considered the Quarterly Report presented by TTC on each occasion. Annual Report 2012 Arrangements for production of the CDDO Annual Report, were put in place

24 Annex A Northern Ireland Course Venues Up to December 2011 Ballymena Belfast Coleraine Enniskillen Downpatrick Dungannon Londonderry Newry Omagh Portadown The Braid Town Hall, Museum Arts Centre 1-29 Bridge Street Ballymena, BT43 5EJ Westland Fire Station Cavehill Road Belfast, BT14 6BT The Sandel Centre Knocklynn Road Coleraine, BT52 1WT Enniskillen Fire/Rescue 2-4 Tempo Road Enniskillen, BT74 6HR Down Business Centre, 46 Belfast Road, Downpatrick, Co Down, BT30 7UP Breakthru, 18 Killymeal Road, Dungannon, BT71 6LJ Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue 10 Crecsent Link Londonderry, BT47 5FR Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency, Win Business Park Canal Quay Newry, BT35 6PH South West College 2 Mountjoy Road Omagh, BT79 7AH Portadown Town Hall 15 Edward Street Portadown, BT62 3LX - 0 -

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26 Road Safety & Vehicle Regulation Division Department of the Environment Clarence Court Adelaide Street Town Parks Belfast BT2 8GB Telephone: Web: