COUNCIL LOOKS AT FUNDING DRUG COURT

McIver Worries City Stuck Doing Province's Job

City council will vote today on a motion intended to launch a
proposed drug treatment court.

Ald. Druh Farrell, who drafted the motion, is asking city council to
allocate $100,000 in seed money to the court for each of the next two years.

"We need this program. It's been proven to work -- we're not breaking
new ground," Farrell said.

Others on city council, however, are skeptical the municipal
commitment will last only two years and are worried the city will
remain on the hook far longer.

"A drug court is a great idea, but I'm concerned that council is
taking on yet another provincial responsibility," Ward 12 Ald. Ric McIver said.

Although a provincial task force on crystal meth recently recommended
establishing drug courts provincewide, it set no timeline for the initiative.

Generally, drug courts are used to rehabilitate non-violent offenders
who commit crimes to feed their addiction.

Instead of going to jail, eligible offenders participate in
court-monitored treatment. Ending a person's addiction is supposed to
put an end to the crimes they commit to pay for drugs.

The concept has been successful in many U.S. jurisdictions since the
first drug court was established in the mid-1990s.

In Spokane County, Wash., only about 10 per cent of defendants who
successfully complete treatment go on to reoffend.

The idea is still relatively new in Canada, though Edmonton, Regina,
Winnipeg, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver have drug courts.

Officials in Edmonton launched that city's Drug Treatment and
Community Restoration Court last December, with four years of funding
from the federal and provincial governments.

Although some U.S. drug courts will withdraw a defendant's criminal
charges if he completes treatment, Edmonton's court requires an
automatic guilty plea. Successful offenders receive a suspended
sentence instead of jail.

Calgary's court will be a partnership involving social agencies such
as the Salvation Army to offer treatment and counselling to defendants.

Farrell's $100,000 proposal would likely go toward drug testing and
hiring a court-appointed social worker.

Farrell said the motion addresses any concerns the city would end up
assuming the cost over time by limiting its commitment to two years
and making it contingent on provincial funding after that.

"It's for a limited time, it's to get things started, and it has a
sunset clause," she said.

A sunset clause offers "no comfort," countered McIver, because the
city has repeatedly extended funding to programs that were supposed
to be taken over by the province.

"History shows council will keep funding it," McIver said.