Pubdate: Sat, 09 Dec 2006
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Paula McCooey
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

JUDGE CRITICIZES LACK OF SPACES FOR TEEN ADDICTS

Jail Not A Substitute For Treatment Centres, Judge Says After Trying 
To Find Girl A Placement

Ontario Court Justice Dianne Nicholas expressed dismay yesterday that 
a residential treatment centre for young offenders still does not 
exist within 100 kilometres of Ottawa.

"You cannot use jail as a substitute for a drug treatment facility," 
said Judge Nicholas. "You are not supposed to use incarceration to 
protect them from themselves."

She said she is deeply concerned about a crack-addicted 16-year-old 
girl who appeared in court yesterday. Judge Nicholas said she 
believes the girl is deteriorating without the proper care and 
appeared "psychotic."

Because the city is not equipped with a treatment centre, the youth 
was forced to stay at an Ottawa group home after she was arrested on 
Dec. 1, and is now facing charges of assault, fraud and breach of probation.

While there is a residential treatment program for youths near 
Carleton Place, there is no residential treatment centre in this area 
of Eastern Ontario for youths with psychiatric and drug and alcohol 
problems who are facing criminal charges.

Judge Nicholas said she tried to get the teen into the Royal Ottawa 
Mental Health Centre, but was told there are no beds for teens. "This 
should not be happening in 2006."

Defence and Crown attorneys also expressed concern for the girl, who 
appeared manic in the prisoner's dock --boasting about the cost of 
her clothing and loudly commenting on the attire of the lawyers.

Judge Nicholas ordered the teen temporarily into custody in a 
courthouse cell, and adjourned the matter until the afternoon in 
hopes of dealing with the "critical situation" by getting her into 
the Brockville treatment centre or somewhere else.

While drug treatment was at the forefront of the judge's mind 
yesterday morning, that focus changed to mental fitness in the 
afternoon when the teen threatened to kill herself if she were sent 
back to the open custody group home.

Judge Nicholas immediately ordered her to undergo a psychiatric 
assessment under the Mental Health Act at the Children's Hospital of 
Eastern Ontario.

"At this point, we are now in a separate section because she has 
threatened to kill herself," the judge said.

If the girl is diagnosed with a mental illness, there are two beds 
available for her at the Robert Smart Centre, onsite at the Royal 
Ottawa Hospital.

"This is a young woman who has been before me a number of times and 
things have been going well," she said. "I am extremely upset that 
there is a gap for this critically ill young person. She is 
deteriorating visibly before us, and I personally called the Royal 
Ottawa hospital yesterday and she could not get in there because they 
do not have beds for teens."

Defence Counsel Association of Ottawa president Mark Ertel said the 
problem is not going away because, he feels, governments fail to 
consider preventive measures.

"We see it as a gap in the system and governments have -- provincial 
and federal -- more interest in putting people in jail than solving 
the problems.

"She is a young offender charged with a relatively minor offence," he 
said. The government "has been complacent about this for a long time 
and it falls on deaf ears."

The teen will appear in court again on Wednesday for a bail hearing.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman