Thank you.
My name is Margaret Trottier, and I'm a Senior Policy Analyst with the Policy Implementation Directorate of Programs Branch within the Department of Justice. I am responsible for the drug treatment court funding program.
In recognition of the link between drug use and crime, the drug treatment court funding program was established in 2005. It is a policy partnership between the Department of Justice and Health Canada that enables federal Justice and Health officials to test horizontal approaches to addressing the challenges created by drug-addicted offenders in the criminal justice system.
The objectives of the drug treatment court funding program are to promote and strengthen the use of alternatives to incarceration for drug-addicted offenders; to build knowledge and awareness among criminal justice, health, and social service practitioners and the general public about drug treatment courts; and to collect information and data on the effectiveness of drug treatment courts so that we can promote best practices.
As a component of the national anti-drug strategy treatment action plan, the drug treatment court funding program supports six drug treatment court pilots across Canada. They are in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Regina. The annual budget is $3.6 million.
Drug treatment courts operate within the criminal justice system. They combine judicial supervision with substance abuse treatment in a concerted effort to break the cycle of drug use and criminal recidivism for repeat offenders whose crimes are motivated by drug addiction.
Persons with drug charges are not automatically referred to a drug court. Drug treatment courts, for example, will not accept the violent accused or persons who are involved in commercial drug trafficking. If the accused have used a young person under the age of 18 in the commission of the offence, or if they are charged with a residential break and enter, they do not qualify to enter a drug treatment court.
Participation in the drug treatment court program includes court attendance up to twice a week, random and frequent drug testing, and attendance in a treatment program. Attendance at court on a regular basis allows the participant to inform the court of his or her progress and allows the court to reward compliance, sanction non-compliance, or impose new conditions or interventions to help the participants break the cycle of crime and addiction.
Drug treatment court clients continue to participate in the program, typically for more than a year, until they meet the criteria for graduation. To graduate, they must achieve a prescribed period of abstinence from drugs while abiding by all conditions and establishing stability in the community.
Not all DTC participants graduate. Some will be terminated from the program for incurring new charges, for being dishonest with the court, for repeatedly not complying with conditions, or for failing to attend treatment. Drug treatment courts aim to reduce the harm people cause to themselves and others through their drug use and to reduce the risk that these individuals will continue to use drugs and thereby continue to come into conflict with the criminal justice system.
The pilot sites supported by the drug treatment court funding program require strong collaboration between legal and treatment professionals at the local level. The drug treatment court funding program does not specify a model for the pilot sites to follow. As a result, each pilot site has its own unique characteristics that take into account the needs of the offender population in that particular city.
As mentioned, another objective of the drug treatment court funding program is to provide the opportunity to build knowledge and awareness among stakeholders and the general population about drug treatment courts. Efforts in this regard have included support to the Canadian Association of Drug Treatment Court Professionals for national conferences in 2006 and 2008, as well as round table events in 2007 and 2009. We also support an electronic bulletin board that facilitates exchange of best practices and lessons learned among drug treatment courts in Canada.
Finally, we are focusing efforts on national data collection as we implement the summative evaluation recommendations. As part of ongoing program management, Justice Canada is committed to further review and evaluation as we determine the effectiveness of this innovative approach to dealing with drug addicted offenders in the criminal justice system.
As the majority of pilot sites have been operating for fewer than four years, it's not possible at this time, based on the data available, to determine if drug treatment courts are the most appropriate criminal justice intervention for drug addicted offenders or if they are the most efficient or cost-effective way of dealing with substance abuse issues in the criminal justice system.
The Minister of Justice has recently announced that the drug treatment court funding program will continue to provide funding support until March 31, 2012, to the existing six drug treatment court pilot sites, in an effort to continue to study the effectiveness of DTCs in Canada.
That concludes my opening remarks on the drug treatment court funding program. I'd be happy to answer any questions.