The Turning-Point Project
Randomised Control Trial Status
Completed
Trial Hypothesis
Offenders who have not been previously been convicted at court, but whom the police would otherwise charge for prosecution, can be more cost effectively dealt with by police-led offender management than by prosecution, subject to a condition of the certainty of prosecution in the event of reoffending or breaking an agreed “contract” about their conduct.
Research Institution / Organisation
University of Cambridge
In Collaboration With
West Midlands Police and Birmingham Youth Offending Service
Project Start Date
May 2011
Participants - inclusion criteria
Offenders who have been arrested by West Midlands Police within the 2 Divisions (Birmingham South and Birmingham East) within the trial area and who the custody officer decides satisfy the following conditions: there is sufficient evidence to meet the CPS Code evidential test; they are not considered suitable for informal resolution, caution, Penalty Notices for Disorder (PND) or conditional caution; their case meets the CPS Code threshold as being in the public interest to prosecute; they have no prior court convictions for a criminal offence
Target Sample Size
400 (200 treatment; 200 control)
Study Design
Basic randomised control trial comparing treatment to control
Interventions
All the subjects allocated to treatment must have a “diagnosis meeting” with a member of the offender management team within 72 hours of arrest (normally within 24 hours but because of a lack of weekend cover some cases may need an appointment up to 72 hours) and must sign a “turning point contract” setting out the actions, including no reoffending, which they have agreed to following on from the “diagnosis meeting”. Cases where these two conditions are not applied cannot be considered to have met the conditions of the treatment.
Date last updated
Tuesday 09 February 2021
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