DRUG COURT WILL MAKE DIFFERENCE, JUSTICE MINISTER SAYS

Domestic Violence Court Success Bodes Well for Narcotics Program, Says Stevens

Calgary's success in curbing domestic violence bodes well for a drug
treatment court pilot project being launched next month in the city,
provincial Justice Minister Ron Stevens said today.

The program will allow selected drug addicts to undergo intensive
rehabilitation and job training rather than face prison time.

"I'm expecting very good results out of that drug court and if it's
successful, there will be great impetus to expand it throughout the
province," said Stevens during the 25th annual Law Day ceremony at
Court of Queen's Bench.

"We've had incredibly good success in the area of domestic violence
courts here in Calgary -- they've taken the repeat offender rate down
from about 36 per cent to under five per cent for those who have
taken the full treatment."

Calgary's drug treatment court has its first sitting May 10, despite
a lack of funding from the feds who previously coughed up cash for
trials in Winnipeg, Regina, Ottawa and Edmonton.

The latter court has recorded success in terms of stemming
recidivism, added Stevens.

"The people who go in front of those drug courts are relatively new
to the criminal justice system -- they wouldn't be hardened drug
users typically," he said.

"The concept of a specialized court is that you will have judges and
prosecutors perhaps more familiar with that area of the law, but more
importantly you will have personnel in the back of the room who will
provide support to, in this particular case, the accused."