New Drug Treatment Court to Begin Accepting Cases

  • Justice and Public Safety

November 22, 2018

The Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General, today announced the establishment of a Drug Treatment Court in St. John’s that will commence hearing matters on November 30.

The Drug Treatment Court will offer an alternative approach for offenders with serious drug addictions who commit non-violent, drug-motivated crimes. With federal funding support, this pilot project is designed to deal more effectively with drug-addicted offenders by addressing the underlying issues that contribute to crime. It brings together judicial supervision and treatment services for substance abuse and establishes long-term supports outside the criminal justice system.

The aim is to reduce the number of crimes committed by offenders who have serious drug addictions by offering court-monitored treatment, random and frequent drug testing, incentives and sanctions, intensive case management and social services support. A critical component to the court’s success will be the continued collaboration among partners in the justice and health systems, as well as social and community supports.

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“Restorative justice plays an important role in the administration of justice and our government continues to explore innovative approaches to dealing with offenses. This Drug Treatment Court is a therapeutic alternative to the traditional court process. I would like to thank all those involved, especially the provincial judiciary and the steering committee led by John Duggan, for the tremendous amount of work that was done to get us here today.”
Honourable Andrew Parsons
Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General

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Media contacts
Danielle Barron
Justice and Public Safety
709-729-5188, 709-691-2944
DanielleBarron@gov.nl.ca

John Duggan
Co-Chair, Steering Committee
709-682-8333
johndugganlawyer@gmail.com

2018 11 22 9:30 am