Heroin addicts get yoga lessons

12 April 2012

Jailed heroin addicts are being taught yoga and acupuncture as part of a new rehabilitation programme, probation service officials said today.

Muggers and thieves who commit crimes to fund their drug habit are being given the holistic sessions to help de-stress them and wean them off their addiction.

Re-offending among drug users on the new scheme, which is on trial across Leicestershire and Rutland, is said to have dropped dramatically.

Prisoners being rehabilitated back into the community and convicted criminals on probation orders are taking part in the programme to help them kick their habit.

Many of them are put on drug treatment and testing orders by a court and committed to spending 15 hours a week with the probation service.

They draw up a programme for the offender, which includes group therapy sessions, yoga, acupuncture and regular drug testing.

The Criminal Justice Drug Team, which deals with the scheme, also helps criminals find employment and accommodation after leaving prison.

Assistant chief officer of Leicestershire and Rutland Probation Service, Paul Hindson, said the programme had proved a great success so far.

He said: "I have not come across any other schemes in the country that have the range of interventions that we have.

A drug user comes with a multitude of problems and we have a multitude of ways to deal with those problems.

"Some things we do are standard process across the country, like group sessions and developing life skills.

But we also have a number of alternative methods like yoga and acupuncture."

The programme is mainly used by ex-prisoners, as most of the drug users dealt with by the probation service have been to jail in the past, Mr Hindson continued.

"When they come out they are not just cast adrift. We try and make sure that there is continuity, so if they have been off drugs in prison by enforcement, we make sure they don't go straight back on to them outside.

"We are getting it researched by the NHS but the early signs are that it is very effective, or at least it is proving effective with most.

"Nobody can pretend it is effective with all but if it doesn't work they just get sent back to prison in most cases."

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