Addicts with debt high-risk to society

Customers of addiction rehabilitation with debts are at high risk to re-offend. This is according to a research report from Hogeschool Utrecht. Of the 40 thousand cases examined by the researchers, half of the ex-offenders are struggling with debt. An average debt of 23 thousand euros and an income around assistance level, creates a hopeless situation whereby offenders turn back to crime, the researchers conclude. The report also shows that debtors often owe money to several creditors, causing their remaining income to be far below the subsistence level. Rehabilitation clients usually can not approach the regular debt counseling because of the high entry requirements of these bodies. The poor approach to debt threatens to offset the investments in safety says Edwin ten Holte, director of the Foundation Addiction Rehabilitation mental health (SVG). "If we do not recognize and address the this problem, it causes a high risk of new offenses." The SVG annually guides around 17,500 offenders who are addicted to especially alcohol, drugs and gambling with their reintegration into society.