Drug Court pilot announced

A Drug Court pilot will be established in Auckland to deal with offenders with severe alcohol and drug dependencies.

This is in response to the Law Commission’s recommendation in their review of the Misuse of Drugs Act that a Drug Court pilot be set up, subject to a full analysis of the likely cost-effectiveness and availability of funding.

Funded by National’s $10 million investment package for drug and alcohol treatment, the pilot will run for five years. It will use a pre-sentence model by way of adjournment and deferral of sentencing. It will deal with approximately 100 offenders a year.

This delivers on priorities in the Drivers of Crime strategy which includes reducing alcohol-related harm and improving the availability and accessibility of alcohol and drug treatment services.

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