County lines: redefining vulnerability and support

By Revolving Doors Lived Experience Members, published: 31/10/2024.

Last month Revolving Doors Lived Experience Members, J, C and A, attended the Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre’s conference.

Presenting at the ‘Learning from Less Heard Voices’ session, they spoke about county lines (drug trafficking/exploitation) and discussed ways to address exploitation in county lines drug markets.

The members were invited to this conference following their previous important work on the subject, consulting for the Centre’s national study investigating the policing of ‘county lines’ and approaches to county lines research.

This blog notes some of the important points raised by the Revolving Doors Lived Experience Members.

When thinking about policing, how should county lines be policed?

The idea of ‘line-drawing’ between ‘victims’ and ‘offenders’ was raised in discussions, and ways to decide if someone is vulnerable or not, and therefore how to police people. Revolving Doors Lived Experience Members feel that this line drawing is not valuable and here is what they have to say:

It’s not meaningful to distinguish between victim/offender, and vulnerable/not vulnerable.

“Who are we to decide who’s vulnerable or not? People are victims of exploitation and grooming and they don’t know they’re victims. Everyone could have a background of trauma and be vulnerable – no one can decide this. It doesn’t matter where they are now. It matters what’s gone on in their past and where it brought them.”

“You should assume that everyone is vulnerable. You should really assume every offender is a victim of some sort, otherwise they wouldn’t be there committing the crimes, would they?”

Disadvantaged communities need to stop being criminalised.

“Regarding county lines policing, the police should not look at it as if it’s going ‘soft’ – they should look at it as using drug mules and focus on those higher up in the criminal chain, not on people on the front line and those people being used by the higher-ups.”

“They should stop arresting drug users and classing that as county lines as those people are replaceable. They aren’t doing anything, it’s just trauma history. They need to tackle human trafficking – that should be the focus.”

“The police are known as the kidnap squad – they come grab you and take you away. There’s no incentive for young people to speak to police. Everything they say will be used against them. They’re just charging the younger people and giving them criminal records breaking trust with police just for a great stat of arrests.”

On gender, race and age.

“Young men can be victims just as much as young women – but young men don’t like to be seen as victims. But they are victims of their environment and lack of opportunity. The truth is that they are vulnerable and that’s all that matters as people can see it happening and they prey on them.”

“Racism is a major problem across the whole of policing in general, not just in county lines. My friends that had a different skin colour from me (White) but were in same situation didn’t get the NRM (National Referral Mechanism) – they ended up in prison. We want to call for fairer diversion system, one where nobody misses out.”

“When in care the new age is 25 – age 25 should be the cut off as that would be a more reasonable age limit than 18. But rather than age and a cut off, they should look at the things that have happened before that age – how they grew up, what they went through, what’s gone on in their childhood, what vulnerabilities do they have? They need to look at under 25 and use that as mitigating circumstances.”

How do we decide to draw the line?

“There are people who need to eat, there are people who buy Ferraris. There’s a difference in terms of one needing to do what they do, and the other is wanting to do something. For some people it’s a way of life and it wasn’t even a choice. The higher ups, they have enough money, they can make different choices.”

“On top of that though, when it comes to sentencing, even someone from a nuclear family with a good background deserves a second chance. County lines are always exploiting the victims and this needs to be recognised. It’s people’s histories and their individual circumstances that should matter.”

Looking at the solutions: what support is needed?

People being exploited by county lines need to be supported rather than criminalised. Here are the key points we would like those involved in the policing of county lines to keep in mind:

Be trauma-informed – assume that everyone is vulnerable

“Everyone could have a background of trauma and be vulnerable – no one can decide this. Assume everyone is vulnerable. It doesn’t matter where they are now, it matters what’s gone in their life and where it brought them.”

Take a person-centred approach and look at someone’s past to understand the reason for their behaviour.

“It’s about understanding someone’s past – how they grew up, what they went through, what’s gone on in their childhood, what vulnerabilities do they have.”

Diversion is key

“A fairer system is needed, focusing on diversion, one where people involved in county lines have the right to escape the cycle that they’re in. This needs to be equally available to everyone.”

Peer support is invaluable

“Peer support workers are needed. It was having somebody there that understands it and has done that transition that helped me.”

Holistic support is needed – support from all services at the same time

“Support all at once is needed – mental health, peer support etc. at the same time. For me it was everything – it was having somebody there that understands it and has done that transition; it was having therapy each week; it was having probation; having appointments that I had to attend. But again, it was at a stage in my life where I’ve already wanted to do all that.”

“Hand holding services are needed, and holistic support to look at all aspects of life- accommodation, finance/benefits support, mental health, substance use, activities. Access to accommodation that is clean and a place where a ‘normal’ person would want to stay. It also needs to be remembered that parents/grandparents/carers are sometimes the exploiters and so removal from that situation can be really important. The skills to live independently are vital too.”

“Financial support is needed, especially for people who have learning difficulties. Access to disability benefits was massive for me. The whole time I was waiting for the NRM I didn’t even know I could access mental health benefits that I’d been entitled to this whole time. That itself was a lever to lots of other support. Educational and financial support are key, otherwise people are being led into poverty.”

“Community support is needed. There should be a service outside the Criminal Justice System to help people and find ways for them to give guidance to others; a way to give back – like community service but without the judgement. There needs to be an interest in our future and opportunities available. It’s a disgrace what help there is for the working class right now.”

Take specific consideration for children in care

“Children and young people should have access to their own social worker in custody suites, not just a duty worker who doesn’t know their needs. There should be an intervention meeting with the social worker and everyone else. Much closer work needs to be done with probation and the police to actually understand the family history of a young person, and everyone within the circle in the care system.”

Recognise that people might not be ready for the support then, but they might be in the future: don’t give up.

“Support has to be at the stage when the person wants to as well because if you’re just forcing it upon people, that’s not going to mean anything. Be aware that some young people aren’t ready for help, but this doesn’t mean they never will be, keep trying.”

There is hope for everyone with the right support.

“We all have previous experience of being involved in county lines and it’s important for us to show how well we’re doing with the right support. We’re only suggesting what we had and what worked for us, but there is hope for everyone. We don’t need to be the exception.”

Conclusion

Revolving Doors believe that young people and young adults involved in county lines should be recognised as victims of exploitation, not as hardened criminals.

Many of these individuals are coerced or manipulated into drug trafficking through violence, intimidation, or grooming by older criminals. Punishing them without addressing underlying issues not only perpetuates the cycle of crime but also ignores the trauma and vulnerability that led them into this situation in the first place.

Instead of criminalisation, these young people need comprehensive support that includes trauma-informed care, mental health services, and education or job opportunities. Peer support should be offered at every opportunity – having someone relatable who understands and can offer guidance and hope is invaluable.

Such an approach can help them heal from their experiences, regain a sense of safety, and find alternative paths to a stable and meaningful life. Without this support they risk being further marginalised and trapped in a revolving door of reoffending, continuously entangled in the criminal justice system.

By providing them with the right interventions, society can break the cycle of exploitation, prevent future crime, and give these individuals a real chance at recovery and rehabilitation.

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