SOME ADDICTS CHOOSING JAIL OVER DRUG COURT

Ottawa's new drug treatment program is no "easy ride," said Ontario
Court Justice Peter Wright in an interview with Centretown News.

Wright, who presides over the court alongside Justice Judy Beaman,
said some offenders have chosen jail over treatment.

"Some people say this is something they want to try. Other people
have said they'd rather go to jail. It's too much of a commitment,
it's too much work, and they say 'sentence me to jail,' " Wright said.

"Word has got out among the potential candidates that it's not an
easy ride. The fact that people are opting for jail, in some cases,
speaks volumes."

Those accepted into the program must abide by the court-imposed conditions.

These include attending therapy sessions at the Rideauwood Addiction
and Family Services Centre three times a week, attending the drug
court twice a week, random urine tests, nighttime curfews and
restricted movement within the city. Offenders must also abstain from
drug and alcohol use.

Those who violate their restrictions can be cautioned, sent back to
jail, or removed from the program. Rideauwood can accommodate up to
30 clients at a time.

Wright said he is often frustrated when he constantly sees the same
people in court and the drug court is one possible solution.

"You reach a point where you think, 'alright, there's a certain limit
to how much you can sentence somebody to jail for theft of a
cassette, or theft of a salami, or performing sexual acts for money,'" he said.

The program is barely a month old, but its supporters are optimistic
that it will help non-violent drug addicts recover from their afflictions.

Since its launch on Feb. 28, the drug court has spared four offenders
from jail time, instead sending them to the Rideauwood centre to
undergo demanding treatment for at least one year.

Roger Picard, who was one of the first applicants to be accepted into
the program, told the court on March 21 that he has abstained from
drug and alcohol use.

"I've been closed in from society," said Picard, who was convicted on
two break-and-enter charges.

"My wife's helping me, and it's encouraging me to stay in the program."

Another offender, identified only as Mr. James, said he has also
stayed clean and sober, but was fired from his job because of his
criminal record.

Beaman congratulated him on his sobriety and told him that the
recovery process will be difficult.

James Budd, the program manager at Rideauwood, says in order to
rehabilitate addicts, they must want to do it for themselves.

"This is the hardest to reach population in our community," he says.

"Our counsellors are very good at finding a kernel of internal
motivation and then amplifying it. Ultimately, if they're going to
succeed they're going to need to want to do it for a reason other
than staying out of jail."

Along with rehabilitating addicts and preventing crime, the drug
court will also mean less money spent on jailing offenders.

Budd says it costs about $5,000 per year to treat someone at
Rideauwood, whereas jailing the person could cost upwards of $65,000 per year.

The federal Department of Justice has earmarked $13.3 million to
create four new drug courts in Ottawa, Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg,
in addition to the courts operating in Toronto and Vancouver.

To date, there has been no published evidence of the success of the
Toronto and Vancouver drug courts.

"The important thing right now to note about the drug court is that
there's a lack of scientific evidence to support the
cost-effectiveness and the actual efficacy of these programs," says
Brooke Bryce, communications advisor for the Ottawa-based Canadian
Centre on Substance Abuse.

But she says the drug treatment court has enormous potential.

"I think it could potentially offer (addicts) a really valuable
opportunity, because instead of shoving that person off to jail . . .
you're actually giving them an opportunity to go into treatment. If
they hadn't been arrested then maybe they wouldn't be taking that opportunity."