Backgrounder

Expanding Drug Treatment Courts in Canada

As part of its commitment under Canada’s Drug Strategy to expand Drug Treatment Courts in Canada, the federal government is providing funding of more than $13.3 million over four years to help establish new courts in Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg and Ottawa. Existing operations in Toronto and Vancouver will also continue to receive Government of Canada funding.

Funding is provided through the Drug Treatment Court Funding Program, managed by the Department of Justice Canada, in partnership with Health Canada. The goal of drug treatment courts is to reduce the social and economic costs of illicit substance abuse through an innovative federal/provincial/territorial partnership involving the criminal justice system, drug addiction treatment services and social service agencies.

Understanding the Guiding Principles

Drug Treatment Courts aim to reduce crime committed as a result of drug dependency through court-monitored treatment and community service support for offenders with drug addictions.

Drug Treatment Courts also aim to reduce the burden of substance abuse on the Canadian economy, which has been estimated at $9 billion annually for areas including law enforcement, prosecution and incarceration.

As part of their structured outpatient program, Drug Treatment Court participants attend both individual and group counselling sessions, receive appropriate medical attention (such as methadone treatment) and are subject to random drug tests.

Participants must also appear regularly in court, where a judge reviews their progress and can then either impose sanctions (ranging from verbal reprimands to expulsion from the program) or provide rewards (ranging from verbal commendations to a reduction in court appearances).

Drug Treatment Court staff work with community partners to address participants’ other needs, such as safe housing, stable employment and job training. Once a participant gains this social stability and can demonstrate control over the addiction, criminal charges are either stayed (meaning a judgement is suspended or postponed) or the offender receives a non-custodial sentence (meaning restrictions other than jail, including house arrest). If unsuccessful, an offender will be sentenced as part of the regular court process.

Recognizing Achievements to Date

Canada’s first Drug Treatment Court was established in Toronto in December 1998. A subsequent court was established in Vancouver in December 2001, both of which have shown promise in reducing addiction and repeat offences in those areas. An evaluation concluded that the Toronto Court had clearly benefited from strong collaboration among partners, in administering a unique treatment program that helps addicts break the cycle of drug use, criminal behaviour and jail. Evaluation of the Vancouver court also recognized the successful implementation there, particularly given the complex coordination and cooperation of various partners.

There are well over a thousand drug treatment courts in the United States where follow-up studies indicate that only a very marginal percentage of program graduates re-offend.

Providing New Funding

As part of the renewal of Canada’s Drug Strategy, the federal government made a commitment to expand the use of Drug Treatment Courts in Canada. A Call for Funding Proposals was issued in December 2004 in order to establish at least three new courts, each funded up to a maximum of $750K per year for an initial period of up to four years. Each proposal received was subjected to a comprehensive assessment based on objective criteria, including the demonstrated need in that community for a new court. The proposal review committee included officials from the Department of Justice Canada, Health Canada and the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse. Decisions were further informed by a detailed and independent review of the proposals, carried out by treatment experts with experience in the field of addictions.

Funding agreements are being finalized for each of the successful proposals from Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg and Ottawa, with each new court expected to begin operations in the coming months.

In addition to this investment in new Drug Treatment Courts, the Government will continue funding existing courts in Toronto and Vancouver. 

Building a Community of Practice

One of the objectives of the DTC Funding Program is to collect information and data on the effectiveness of drug treatment courts in order to promote best practices and the continuing refinement of approaches. Each of the funding recipients will be required to report annually on the results of their activities. These results will be used to support annual reports to Parliament and the Canadian public and to inform others who may want to establish drug treatment courts in their communities. They will also help ensure that best practices and standards are consistent across the various jurisdictions, while supporting the individual needs of communities where the courts are located.

To learn more about Drug Treatment Courts, visit:
http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/pb/prog/dtc/

To learn more about Canada’s Drug Strategy, visit:
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/activit/strateg/drugs-drogues/index_e.html

Department of Justice

June 2005