Drugs courts: Justice system that aims to rehabilitate

A new pilot project to introduce American-style ‘drug courts’ to Northern Ireland is being developed. They are courts aimed at keeping drug users out of prison and getting them into treatment. A senior American judge is in Belfast to advise local judges, politicians and others working in the criminal justice system about how they operate.
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Inside Australia’s Second-Chance Drug Courts

We hear so often about the drug problem fueling crime and tearing families apart, but what we don’t hear about is why. After a year-long consultation process, A Current Affair was given exclusive access behind the scenes in one of Australia’s drug courts, where hardcore addicts plead their case and try to stay out of
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Government to roll out specialised drug and alcohol courts from 2018

Courts dedicated to drug and alcohol related offences are to be rolled out across New Zealand in 2018. These specialised courts work with people through their journey of addiction, not just treat them as another cog in the justice system, says Justice Minister Andrew Little. That’s why he is exploring with various Ministries the benefits of
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Poland on collision course with EU after putting courts under political control

Warsaw, Poland: Polish President Andrzej Duda has signed sweeping legislation to overhaul the country’s judicial system, effectively putting the Polish courts under the control of the right-wing governing party. The move defies a formal warning delivered just hours earlier by the European Union, which called the legislation a “serious breach” of the core values on
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ACT government pays $130,000 for UNSW to design drug and alcohol court

Planning to establish a new drug and alcohol court in the ACT is under way, with the University of New South Wales tasked with detailing how the institution could work. The court forms part of the ACT government’s pledge to slash recidivist offending, with $500,000 set aside in the latest budget to investigate the proposal. Tender documents
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Calgary’s drug court needs more money, mayor to tell feds and province

City council is going to ask the federal and provincial governments to put more money into the Calgary drug treatment court. The court is an alternative justice venue for people suffering drug addictions who break the law. Rather than simply sentencing and imprisoning offenders, the court ensures people undergo treatment for their underlying problems. Officials
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‘Heroin is very good at getting rid of all my problems’: drugs and sexism in India

After selling heroin on the streets all morning, former school teacher Jenny is tired and in need of her next hit. Carrying her earnings, she travels to a decrepit house on the outskirts of Imphal, capital of the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur, to find some relief. It’s here that drug users openly inject and
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Report: Guam drug cases rise by 47%

The island’s growing drug problem, as seen in a spate of drug arrests and raids in recent months, is mirrored in the number of cases in the Superior Court of Guam. The number of drug cases, primarily involving methamphetamine, has steadily risen from 176 in fiscal year 2014, to 229 the following year and 261
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Saipan delegation passes $86K funding measure for Drug Court

The Saipan and Northern Islands Legislative Delegation has approved a measure appropriating $86,000 for the Drug Court. All 20 members present voted to pass House Local Bill 20-25 during a session on Tuesday. House Local Bill 20-25 was introduced by the delegation chair, Rep. John Paul Sablan, and its funding source is e-gaming revenue. The
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World Drug Report 2017

29.5 million people globally suffer from drug use disorders, opioids the most harmful 22 June 2017 – In 2015 about a quarter of a billion people used drugs. Of these, around 29.5 million people – or 0.6 per cent of the global adult population – were engaged in problematic use and suffered from drug use
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Queensland budget to reveal $22.7 million for new Drug Court

The Drug Court will officially be reincarnated in the Queensland budget, set to be announced on Tuesday. Fairfax Media can reveal there will be new funding of $22.7 million over four years to reinstate the Drug Court in Brisbane, and also for court referral and support services. The drug, Murri and special circumstances courts were scrapped
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Alcohol and Drug Court pilot extended

The Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment (AODT) Court pilot has been extended for a further three years, Justice and Courts Minister Amy Adams announced today. The AODT Court pilot, which began in November 2012 in the Waitakere and Auckland District Courts, aims to help reduce alcohol and drug use, reoffending and imprisonment. It identifies offenders
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DWI Court to address repeat offenders

A new specialty court on island focuses on addressing Guam’s numerous repeat offenders of the law against driving while intoxicated. The Superior Court of Guam launched the Driving While Intoxicated Court, which will utilize evidence-based therapeutic methods to lower instances of recidivism in cases involving intoxicated drivers. Under the DWI Court, after an extensive series
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‘We have the answer’: Drug court model could help with opioid crisis, says manager

It was Christmas Eve 2014 and Ryan Curry was waiting in a rundown motel to do a drug deal.  He said that when the police arrested him instead, he was almost relieved.  “There was a point in time where I didn’t think I could ever get out,” said Curry, 28 years old and now clean. “But I
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Tasmania Law Reform Institute report on recidivist drink drivers proposes specialist problem-solving court

REPEAT drink drivers in Tasmania would be dealt with in a specialist “problem-solving” court under a proposed law reform that would deliver therapy rather than punishment. The Tasmanian Law Reform Institute has proposed the non-traditional court model that, if adopted, would be the first of its type in Australia. Researchers at the institute are seeking
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