It is a familiar story you can hear in almost any court in the UK. The defendant in the dock has become dependent on crime to support his drug habit. Breaking that link is one of the biggest challenges facing the criminal justice system.
In Scotland, ministers are now looking to North America for a radical solution to the problem: the drug court. As the name suggests, this is a criminal court that deals purely with offenders who have drug problems. They are offered the chance of staying out of prison, but only if they agree to undergo an intensive programme of treatment and rehabilitation.