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tions It will be no surprise that the Psychiatrists and psychologists,
motive of most people seeking a DTO addiction medicine specialists,
is to stay out of prison. That’s fine. counsellors – they’re all engaged as part
There’s plenty of research that shows it of a comprehensive, collaborative
doesn’t matter whether people are approach. A sheriff on the team helps
coerced into treatment or seek it deal with outstanding fines, one less
voluntarily, the outcomes are about the worry for people addressing their major 1
same. life issues.
People are sent to the drug court by Supervision is strict. Case managers
other magistrates’ courts or through provide general supervision and support
their lawyers. They are rigorously through weekly meetings with
assessed for suitability to enter the participants over the course of the two-
program. Amongst a number of year order. Clinical advisors design each
criteria, they must have a drug or individual treatment plan and
alcohol dependence which has supervise participants through
contributed to their offending and the treatment, also meeting weekly,
offences must be so serious that only a tweaking the plan as necessary along
jail term is appropriate. If all of the the way. Participants in the early
criteria are met, the drug court months must provide supervised urine
magistrate sentences the defendant by screens three times per week. If alcohol
applying the usual sentencing rules. dependence is a live issue, they test five
However, under the DTO, defendants, times a week. Testing ensures that the 1 . RE V IE WIN G TH E
we call them participants, serve their court knows precisely how well E FFEC TI VE NE SS O F
jail time in the community as long as participants are progressing.
they comply with the treatment In addition, participants must attend D RUG TRE ATM E NT
component of the order and don’t a review hearing before the drug court
commit serious offences whilst in the magistrate once a week. The magistrate PRO G R A M S IN
community. plays a key role motivating the V I C TO RIA WITH
It doesn’t matter whether the participant along the path of recovery by
sentence is six months, twelve months applying classical behavior modification RECO MME NDATI O N S
or two year’s jail, the DTO itself lasts techniques: carrots and sticks:
for two years. Why so long? Long term Good behavior is incentivised. Clean O N H OW TRE ATM E NT
drug addiction causes biological changes urine screens, attending the doctor or A N D HA RM MINIMI -
to the structure of the brain. The psychologist, attending narcotics anon-
neural pathways will recover but it can ymous meetings etc are rewarded at one SATI O N S TR ATEG I E S
take nine months or longer. So the drug end with praise or applause, or perhaps
court needs that time to work its magic. a supermarket gift voucher and at the COU LD B E US E D A S
People on a DTO are kept very busy. high end, reduction of the jail sentence A N A LTE RNATIV E TO
T h e y a r e s u r r o u n d e d b y a attached to the DTO.
multidisciplinary team which includes Negative behaviors are met with CRIMINA L PE NA LTIE S;
case managers, accredited drug and sanctions. Missed testing or
alcohol clinicians, housing officers, rep- appointments or positive urines draw
resentatives of the police and legal aid. responses which range from warnings,
On day 1 of a DTO housing is written homework, additional court
addressed. Unless participants have safe attendance requirements, community
stable housing, they don’t have a chance. work or a jail sanction of a day or two.
Physical health is screened. If a If participants accumulate seven day’s
participant is using heroin, the best pain jail sanctions they are sent to prison to
killer known to medical science, because serve that time. When they come out,
of a tooth abscess or spinal deformi- the drug court team rolls up its sleeves
ty those problems need to be resolved and gets back to work with the partici-
before the drug use can be tackled. pant. A DTO is not a soft option!
Mental health is screened and for those The results speak for themselves.
that need it mental health plans are put Forty percent of people who enter the
in place. A Centrelink officer on the drug court program successfully com-
drug court team smooths out the path- plete it, a great outcome for any court
way to social security benefits because program let alone one working with Drug Courts
people in the early months of a DTO are people with the most intractable drug
kept too busy to work but they need an and alcohol dependencies, with long
income to pay rent, buy food and be able criminal records who commit the most
to use the bus or train system like the serious offences.
rest of us. Against the criteria of improved

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