Alcohol treatment requirements for offenders

The Criminal Justice Act 2003 makes available to the courts an Alcohol Treatment Requirement (ATR) as one of the possible requirements of a Community or Suspended Sentence Order. In Northern Ireland, under the Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, where a court is proposing to make a probation order, it can impose a requirement that the offender attend treatment for alcohol dependency. In England and Wales, the court does not have to be satisfied that the offender's dependency on alcohol caused or contributed to the offence for which they have been convicted to impose the ATR or treatment. However, the court must be satisfied that:

• The offender is dependent on alcohol
• The dependency on alcohol requires, and may be susceptible to, treatment
• Arrangements have been made, or can be made, for the treatment intended to be specified in the order
• The offender expresses their willingness to comply with its requirements