Risk Management of Groups or Respect for the Individual? Issues for information sharing and confidentiality in Drug Treatment and Testing Orders

Abstract

Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs) are generating huge amounts of debate in the field of drug work. It may not be too misplaced to argue that the impact of the DTTOs could be such as to change the nature of drug services in the UK. As to be expected with such far-reaching legislation there are numerous areas of concern. This paper begins to explore one of those areas: the nature and problem of information sharing and client confidentiality. To achieve this, the paper examines the growth of the concept and practice of risk management within the criminal justice system and contrasts that model's concern with the control of groups, to health's traditional focus on the individual.