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. - --- MAP posted-by: Josh Sutcliffe