Currently, there are two Alcohol or Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Courts in New Zealand.  One is located at Waitakere and the other is at the Auckland District Court. Between them, they handle up to 50 offenders a year. Set up in 2012 as part of a five-year pilot, the AODT Courts give defendants with substance dependency issues an opportunity to deal with those issues before they’re sentenced. They still get sentenced for their crimes, but the effort they put in at the AODT Court can be taken into account.

Participants in the court must meet criteria that they are ‘high needs’ (in terms of their addiction issues) and ‘high risk’ (of non-compliance). ‘The people who qualify for the AODT Court have basically already had everything that the system has to offer, and it hasn’t worked,  They are in a revolving door within the criminal justice system.

They have an addiction, and research makes it clear that punishment does not change that. They require intensive management, and the court is an opportunity to provide that – and much better outcomes are achieved especially by having all of the agencies working together.

Before the court sitting, there’s a meeting which includes the judge, defence, police prosecutors and expert advisors. Also present is the Pou Oranga – a role established to ensure that Māori participants, and the court itself, is assisted by a team member with expertise in tikanga and te reo Māori, as well as a lived experience of recovery and qualifications in the addiction field. Collectively, the team reviews each case and strategises, sharing information and referring to relevant research.