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The Court of Drug Treatment Toronto |
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Monday, 09 June 2008 |
Thanks to the Federal Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice, Mr. Barnes was mainly prosecuted against major drug traffickers, organized crime. "There was this feeling of satisfaction that stemmed from the fact that demantelait an organization," says Barnes. "We knew that attacked the very source of the drug problem. "
The situation was totally different at Old City Hall, who had a reputation of being the courthouse dealing with the largest number of cases in the country. Seeing the same addicts come and go as a revolving door, Mr. Barnes has been plagued by feelings of frustration. "They were the same people I had seen at the beginning of my career, they were still there. The sentences reflected in their criminal records were becoming longer, "he says.
"We are lawyers, we understand what evil addiction. Thus, when the defence lawyer says' I found a bed in a treatment centre where drug addicts can seek treatment for four weeks', we believe that we have to solve the problem. Obviously, it was nothing. It was therefore necessary to find a solution. "
The solution: the Tribunal drug treatment in Toronto.
In the past one year, the Tribunal is a pilot project of $ 1.6 million, spread over four years, which replaces an intensive process of treatment, rehabilitation and monitoring under the supervision of the Tribunal, sentences of imprisonment inflicted on non-violent addicts who are engaged in criminal activities to obtain drugs.
First of its kind in Canada, Toronto court based on the model adopted by the courts about 600 addiction treatment in the United States. It was set up like a joint project involving the Court of Justice, the Ministry of Justice of Canada, the National Strategy on Community Safety and Crime Prevention government Canada, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto representatives of the criminal justice system, the Toronto Police Service, the office "Healthy City" and the Public Health Service of Toronto, and various community service agencies . The program is funded by the Centre for Crime Prevention established under the National Strategy.
The program brings together the criminal justice system and drug treatment and appealed to various community organizations to help addicts to take charge. It forces them to confront their addiction and accept responsibility.
According to U.S. research, the recidivism rate of participants who have carried out programmes court drug treatment can be as low as 4%, compared to 45% of persons convicted of possession of drugs which have not participated in the program.
Since the program began on 1 December 1998, 170 addicts have participated and over 30 have successfully completed (97% of participants had not yet touched the drugs). One of the most brilliant successes was the birth last year of a baby without dependence whose mother had enrolled in the program, pregnant and heavily dependent on heroin.
Mr. Barnes, a native of Ghana, admits that initially it was even skeptical and apprehensive. However, the Attorney black with a keen sense of social responsibility, he felt compelled to act given the high number of visible minorities in the criminal justice system.
"As I was the first prosecutor in Canada to perform this function, I had no precedent on which Canadian me. However, we developed a system of frequent appearances in court, treatment sessions, taking samples of urine and CBM, which makes participating in the programme of the Court of drug treatment the participant non-imprisoned on most guarded of the criminal justice system. This close monitoring ensures public safety. "
"For example, you see appear in court accused a long criminal record who has no job, no home, who lives in the street, which is family breakdown, because smashed by drugs. Then you watch his progress over several months. You can see abandon drugs, you observe changes in how it addresses the court and he dresses, you can see getting a job or carry out training. It is an experience that you can not describe. That reward you for all your efforts. " |
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