Pubdate: Mon, 08 Jan 2001
Source: Irish Examiner (Ireland)
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 2001
Contact:  http://www.examiner.ie/

DRUG COURT AT LONG LAST IS READY TO HEAR FIRST CASE

The long awaited drug court, which will offer treatment and 
rehabilitation, on a voluntary basis instead of prison to non violent 
drug offenders, will finally hear its first case tomorrow.

This is despite last week's decision by 50 GPs working in Dublin's 
drug treatment centres not to co operate with it.

The GPs, Specialising in Substance Abuse (GPSSA), treat almost 90% of 
all heroin addicts on methadone maintenance programmes in the Eastern 
Region Health Authority (ERHA).

"This means that there will be no one available to take on any cases 
from the drug court, except for psychiatrists in Trinity Court who 
treat the other 10% -- but they already have a waiting list," said 
GPSSA spokesman Dr Cathal O'Sullivan."

The action by the GPs follows a long running dispute with management 
over working conditions. Discussions are due to take place on Friday 
in an attempt to bring the dispute to an end.

But a spokesman for the Courts Service said the drug court -- which 
has been three years in the making -- would start working tomorrow 
regardless.

"Other services would still be available, including counselling and 
probation and welfare," the spokesman said. He added that the numbers 
starting on the programme would be quite small initially.

The court will run on a pilot, or test case, basis over the next 18 
months in Dublin's north inner city, the area with the highest level 
of drug related crime in the city.

If successful, the Government plans to extend the scheme throughout Dublin.

It is estimated the majority of the 37,000 or so cases brought before 
the district court in Dublin are drug related.

Of these, almost 13,000 cases come from the north inner city area.

A spokesman for the drug court said that by keeping people in 
treatment, the programme aims to reduce relapse rates for substance 
use and related criminal behaviour and improve social stability.

Those accepted will be required to enter a special drug court bail 
bond which will set out terms of treatment.

Participants will then be given a structured treatment programme, 
which will last about one year. This will include counselling, random 
and regular drug screening and addiction treatment, including 
methadone maintenance in necessary.

Dr Brion Sweeney, consultant psychiatrist with the Northern Area 
Health Board, said the main difference regarding those referred from 
the drug court and ordinary clients is the high level of supervision.

He said international experience, particularly in Australia, showed 
that drug courts could be successful.

"It has shown itself to be very effective in Australia. Not for all 
patients. Perhaps one third fail in the programmes, which means two 
thirds are succeeding, which is a good rate," Dr Sweeney said.

"If we can achieve similar results here we'll be very satisfied."

But he said it was difficult to recruit the necessary staff to run the service.

"However, this is an exciting new project and there are motivated 
young people who want to get involved in something different.

"At present we are actively recruiting and are having some success 
and we have extra staff coming on board."

He said there are about a dozen people on the waiting list for 
treatment in City Clinic in Amiens Street, which will be the main 
referral centre for the drug court.

"Obviously, in terms of equity we can't have a situation where people 
are committing crimes to get into treatment, so therefore we have to 
clear our waiting list at the same time as we take people in from the 
drug court.

"We don't know how that will pan out over the year. But there is a 
strong commitment from the management of the Northern Area Health 
Board to provide resources to achieve that goal."

Initially, they would take on 10 - 12 patients, building quickly up to 100.

The Probation and Welfare Service as well as FAS and the Department 
of Education will also have a key role in the drug court.

Senior Probation Officer Vivian Geiran said that two probation 
officers will be assigned to the drug court.

"Our main area is in relation to offender behaviour, anti social 
attitudes, lack of victim empathy as well as other issues such as 
housing and family difficulties."

He said the difference with the drug court is that the agencies 
involved will be called upon to work together in a more focused and 
coordinated way.

He acknowledged that the Probation Service was already having major 
problems meeting increasing demands placed upon it by the courts but 
said that new staff had just been recruited and would be appointed 
soon.

The drug court, headed by Judge Gerard Haughton, will be based in the 
district court in the former Richmond Hospital.
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