Subj:  Ireland: Drug courts pilot scheme needs proper funding



Date: Saturday, 26 September 1998



Source:   The Examiner (Ireland)





Drug courts pilot scheme needs proper funding 

by Denis Lehane



THE Labour Party, Democratic Left and drug treatment bodies have welcomed

the Government's decision to set up a drug courts' pilot project, but have

stressed the need to commit sufficient funds for the scheme.



Justice and Law Reform Minister John O'Donoghue, yesterday, announced a

pilot scheme of drug courts, based on the US system, following the

recommendations of a working group on a courts commission chaired by

Supreme Court Justice Mrs Susan Denham.



The key element in the scheme would be to deal with non-violent convicts

and those guilty of non-serious offences by way of drug treatment rather

than sentencing them to jail terms. As part of the scheme, if those on the

drug treatment schemes were to lapse, the option of a jail sentence would

still remain. Announcing the scheme, Mr O'Donoghue said: "Today's

announcement marks a major policy initiative in the criminal justice

system. It is the beginning of a fundamental realignment of the response of

the criminal justice system to those involved in less serious drug related

offences.



The Labour Party's spokesman on Justice, Pat Upton, in welcoming the

initiative, said there was an absolute need to establish such a system of

dealing with drug addicts in Ireland.



"I would urge the Minister for Justice to fund this pilot court to the

maximum to ensure that all aspects of rehabilitation for drug addicts are

provided, including counselling, career guidance as well as medical care."



Democratic Left spokesperson Liz McManus also welcomed the decision, but

called for sufficient funds to make it work.



"The commitment of the additional resources required to make the drug

courts a success will be costly, but in the long-run it will pay dividends

as we are already facing a huge social and economic cost for drug abuse and

its associated crime problem," he said.



Chief executive of the Coolmine Therapeutic Community in Dublin Jim

Comberton said that many judges were already doing their best to deal with

drug addicts by way of sending them to treatment centres like his.



"This proposal will give the option of sending a chap to prison or into

recovery. It gives the chap the chance to make a choice at the point of

high motivation," he said.



"It is a lot more humane, based on problem solving and trying to address

the problems rather than just sending them to prison."



Assistant director of the Rutland Centre in Dublin Roland Anderson said

that the Minister's announcement was good news and that the investment of

money into the scheme would pay for itself because of the high costs of

drug addiction to society.



"We would welcome any initiative where people would have the possibility of

treatment rather than punishment," he said.



"The Government appears to have got the balance right, where everyone who

needs treatment would get treatment."