What is a DRR? Drug Rehabilitation Requirement explained
The drug-treatment community sentence in England and Wales — eligibility, length, testing, breach, and how to get one imposed instead of custody.
A DRR is created by section 209 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. It can only be imposed where the court has an assessment showing drug dependency or misuse linked to the offending, the person consents, and treatment is available. Everything below is written for people with a hearing date already in the diary.
What is a DRR?
A Drug Rehabilitation Requirement (DRR) is a drug-treatment condition a court attaches to a community order or suspended sentence in England and Wales. It runs 6 months to 3 years, is supervised by probation, and includes regular drug testing. It needs your consent.
The five things the court needs
- 1. An assessment showing drug dependency or misuse that is treatable.
- 2. A link between that drug use and the offending behaviour.
- 3. Your consent — a DRR cannot be imposed on an unwilling defendant.
- 4. An available treatment place, confirmed to probation.
- 5. A Pre-Sentence Report that recommends the requirement.
Typical DRR timeline
- Weeks 1–4: induction with the treatment provider, prescribing decisions, testing schedule set.
- Months 1–3: weekly keywork plus group work; court review hearings where ordered.
- Months 3–9: reducing contact if tests and engagement are stable; relapse-prevention work.
- Final phase: exit planning, mutual-aid handover, discharge report to probation.
Common questions
How long does a DRR last?▾
Between 6 months and 3 years, set by the court at sentencing. Most DRRs run 12 months. The requirement sits inside a community order or suspended sentence order and is supervised by probation throughout.
Who is eligible for a DRR?▾
Anyone aged 18+ whose offending is linked to drug misuse, who is assessed as dependent or a misuser of drugs, who consents to the requirement, and for whom a treatment place is available locally. The court must have that assessment before it can impose one.
Does a DRR involve drug testing?▾
Yes. Regular testing (usually urine, sometimes oral fluid) is a statutory part of a DRR. Results are reported to probation and to the court at review hearings. Positive tests do not automatically mean breach, but repeated non-engagement does.
What happens if I breach a DRR?▾
Probation can give a warning, or return you to court. On breach the court can make the requirement stricter, or revoke the order and resentence — which usually means custody for the original offence.
Can a DRR include residential rehab?▾
It can, but local-authority funded residential placements are scarce. In practice most DRRs are community-based, and families who want a residential placement fund it privately and present the booked bed at sentencing.
How quickly can an assessment be arranged?▾
A community drug service self-referral can often be done the same week. Private addiction assessments suitable for a pre-sentence report can usually be arranged within a few days — the earlier before the hearing, the more weight it carries.
Related
For criminal defence solicitors
Refer a client for a court-ready assessment, free to your firm.
Court-ordered rehab overview
DRR and ATR compared, and what to do before sentencing.
Alcohol Treatment Requirement (ATR)
The alcohol equivalent of a DRR.
Pre-sentence rehab assessment
What the assessment covers and how fast it can be done.
How to fund UK rehab
Self-pay, insurance, EAP and benefits.
General information, not legal advice. Sentencing strategy should always be led by a criminal defence solicitor.