Reimagining Recovery: A system long overdue for change
We were recently very pleased to announce the launch of Reimagining Recovery: a 15-month project, funded by Camurus, to work with people with lived experience of offending and addiction to design the blueprint for a new approach to drug treatment, support and recovery across the justice pathway.
Reimagining Recovery will see us conduct an independent lived experience-led inquiry that reimagines the treatment and support system at all points in the criminal justice pathway for people in the revolving door, and set out our community’s vision and recommendations for services that reduce harm and reoffending, support recovery and build hope for a better life.
We look forward to sharing more as the project progresses, but wanted to start by sharing the story of Reimagining Recovery peer researcher Nick. Here, he writes about his personal journey in and out of the revolving door, supported by West Midlands Police’s Offending 2 Recovery programme, and why his own story inspires him to take part in this groundbreaking project:
The current system for addressing addiction-driven crimes is failing. People trapped in cycles of drug and alcohol dependency often commit low-level crimes to sustain their habits, yet they face punishment without a genuine approach to their underlying issues. This is not just a policy failure; it is a human one.
I write this from personal experience, having lived through addiction and now being almost two years into recovery after over two decades of dependency on crack cocaine and heroin. My path to recovery diverged from traditional approaches; instead of serving an 18-month prison sentence for theft, I was given a chance to join the West Midlands Police Offending 2 Recovery Programme (O2R). That decision saved my life.
My journey into the justice system
Before addiction took hold, my life was quite different. I was a qualified solicitor advocate specialising in employment law, with years of education and a successful legal career. But addiction is progressive and insidious. By 2018, I could no longer function. Heroin was no longer a choice but a physical necessity, and my thoughts were consumed by crack cocaine.
My interaction with the criminal justice system began in 2012 when I was convicted of taking a vehicle without consent. This moment was more than a crime, it was a cry for help. I had lost my marriage, my job, and was in significant financial distress. I stole a van and lived in it for eight weeks. Instead of receiving help, I was convicted, losing my legal career in a very public and humiliating manner.
Initially, I sought support through a Drug Rehabilitation Order, attending probation and treatment services. I was eager for help, but I found the support that I received at that time was extremely ineffective. My mental health rapidly declined. I felt isolated, finding only temporary relief in drugs. My GP and other services provided little meaningful intervention, leaving me disillusioned, resentful, and ultimately disengaged.
A worsening cycle of crisis and crime
Between 2012 and 2018, I attempted to work in the legal field as a consultant, but my losses mounted: my home was repossessed, I lost my driving license and I became street homeless. My offences continued, yet nothing changed within the system. No one addressed my addiction in a way that made recovery feel attainable. Eventually, I lost hope.
In 2024, a trainee probation officer took the time to see beyond my offences to my personal story. She explored my background, understood my struggles, and collaborated with my police offender manager to offer me an alternate path: recovery instead of punishment. I accepted immediately, marking the beginning of my new life.
Offending 2 Recovery: a new path
Today, after 19 months clean, I firmly believe that all offenders committing low-level crimes to fund their addiction should be offered a genuine opportunity for recovery as a primary response, not an afterthought.
I am deeply grateful for the support I have received through the O2R programme; however, much of this support came from volunteers – individuals in recovery themselves who provided empathy and understanding. This highlights both the power of lived experience and the gaps within the current system regarding funding and professional resources.
How can we build effective recovery for everyone?
Now, as I contribute to a working group focused on reimagining recovery services, I feel hopeful and determined. I truly feel fortunate and blessed to have been offered a “way out” but I am acutely aware that not all offending addicts are given this opportunity. Therefore I passionately believe that if we are serious about breaking the cycle of addiction and crime that we must commit to a fundamental change of the current system in all areas of it.
I believe that effective recovery support must encompass:
- Genuine engagement: recognising the individual behind the offence
- Understanding root causes: exploring why the addiction began and what sustains it
- Targeted therapeutic support: addressing trauma, mental health, and behavioural patterns
- Rebuilding life skills: enabling individuals to reintegrate into society
- Practical stability: ensuring access to essentials like identification, banking, employment skills, and housing
I have been fortunate to rebuild these aspects of my life during recovery, but many others do not receive the same level of support, resulting in dramatically varied outcomes. Addiction is not just a behavioural issue; it is a complex interplay of factors that requires deep understanding and comprehensive support to overcome.
Therefore, my being given the ability to work on the Reimagining Recovery project is extremely exciting, and I am really looking forward to it starting.
