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Cannabis Campaigners' Guide News Database result:
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Ireland: Drugs Court Aims To `Cure' Offenders
ccguide Thursday 11 Jan 2001 Pubdate: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 Source: Irish Independent (Ireland) Copyright: Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd Contact: Website: http://www.independent.ie/ Author: Martina Devlin DRUGS COURT AIMS TO `CURE' OFFENDERS Ireland's first drugs court opened its doors yesterday in an 18-month-long experiment to see if supervised treatment can cure offenders of their habit and also keep them crime-free. The pilot system, based on US-style drugs courts, will allow offenders stay out of prison as long as they stick to an agreed programme, remain clean and stay out of trouble. Heroin users are likely to be the most common drug addicts dealt with under the scheme operating in Dublin's north inner city, which may be extended to other areas if independent assessment judges it to be effective. Launching the drugs court, Judge Gerald Haughton said two gardai were assigned to it and he served notice that the programme was to be taken seriously. Gardai would go out looking for offenders who failed to turn up for meetings, he warned. Medical staff will be empowered to carry out on-the-spot testing for drug use. Justice Minister John O'Donoghue described the court as "an alternative method for dealing with less serious and non-violent drug-offenders who are willing to take the rehabilitative route." The pilot court is available to people aged 17 or over who plead guilty or have been found guilty of a drugs related offence of a non-violent nature that would normally warrant imprisonment. Typically this could be stealing to feed their habit. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe
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