BARRISTER HAILS HEROIN PROGRAM

Australia's criminal justice system was "hopelessly failing" to deal with
the heroin epidemic and an American program known as drug courts may be an
answer, a Sydney barrister says.

Mr Ross Goodridge, from Edmund Barton Chambers, has just completed a study
of the drug courts system and has begun lobbying State and Federal
politicians, including the Federal-Attorney General, Mr Williams.

His report comes after figures released last week showed heroin-related
crime was rising rapidly across Australia and that heroin addicts were
stealing up to $1.6 billion worth of goods a year to fund their habits.

The system, started in Florida in 1989 by the now US Attorney-General, Ms
Janet Reno, had had spectacular results, reducing drug crimes in those areas
where it had been set up, Mr Goodridge said.

US studies have shown that for every dollar spent on the system, $7 is saved
by the community. It had also dramatically reduced recidivism and
incarceration rates.

Under the system, offenders charged with drug offences or drug-related
crimes, such as theft to fund their habits, are placed before a judge in the
drug courts within two months of their arrest.

If found guilty they are given an option of accepting jail or the normal
subscribed punishment - or joining the year-long drug courts program.

Those who choose to participate are required to reappear regularly, weekly
at first, before the judge where their progress in attending drug
rehabilitation, methadone programs and finding work is assessed. Urine
checks are taken to ensure those on the program are not using drugs.

Those who reoffend or who fail to obey the strict guidelines laid down are
brought before the court and sentenced. Those who complete the 12-month
program "graduate". The judge acts as a judge and parole officer, closely
supervising and ensuring they stick on the program.

Mr Goodridge said the system was "not a soft-on-drugs program but a program
that works".

"In Australia it takes an average of more than 10 months from charging to
sentencing and offenders appear before a judge or magistrate and put forward
all sorts of excuses and promises as to why they shouldn't be sentenced to
jail," Mr Goodridge said.

"Under the drug court system if they don't keep their promises they know
they will go to jail."

Mr Goodridge became interested in the program about four years ago and in
the past six months had spent "about 1,000 hours" researching it to present
valid arguments to governments.

"I grew up in the west, in Fairfield, and my old neighbourhood has become a
haven for drug dealers, and I don't believe our criminal justice system is
doing anything effective to deal with it," he said.

Last month he met Mr Williams to put his case. He said although Mr Williams
had been receptive "my follow-up calls to his office have met with silence".

A spokesman for Mr Williams said yesterday the plan was being examined. The
details had also been passed on to the Justice Minister, Senator Vanstone.

Mr Goodridge said that in America, of the 330,000 people who had been
through the program, 80 per cent completed the first 12 months. Only one in
10 of those had reoffended.

There were now 400 drug courts across America.

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett