Released 06/06/2019
The ACT Government has today moved to create a new Drug and Alcohol Court (DAC) by introducing legislation that will allow courts to issue substance dependent offenders with a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Order (DATO).
This new sentencing option has been established to reduce recidivism in our justice system where an offender’s substance addiction has formed a large part of the reason for their offending.
The DAC will impose heavy compliance measures on offenders to ensure they succeed in addressing the substance abuse issues which have perpetuated their criminal activity.
“The DAC’s sentencing option will provide both targeted and structured health and justice interventions for offenders whose criminal activities have been driven by substance abuse issues,” Attorney General Gordon Ramsay said.
“Drug and Alcohol Courts have been operating in other Australian and international jurisdictions for a long time and have proven to be effective at achieving long-term behavioural change in offenders.”
The establishment of the DAC’s sentencing option will have significant long-term benefits for the ACT community, providing an alternative avenue for offenders and reducing crime.
“The DAC’s sentencing option is a key part of the Government’s strategy to reduce recidivism by 25% by 2025 and aligns with our ‘Building Communities Not Prisons’ initiative,” Minister Ramsay said.
The Government has conducted comprehensive and extensive consultation with key stakeholders to ensure the Drug and Alcohol Court is effective as possible.
“This included working closely with the ACT legal community and other DAC jurisdictions to develop the policy and legislative framework to ensure the measure is as successful in the ACT as it has been elsewhere,” Minister Ramsay said.
This work will continue over the coming months in the lead up to the establishment of the DAC’s final sentencing option, which will be operational and accepting its first offenders toward the end of 2019.
“There will be an extensive monitoring and evaluation process over the first two years of the DAC’s sentencing implementation to fine-tune its operation,” Minister Ramsay said.
The establishment of the DAC is a 2016 Parliamentary Agreement item.
- Statement ends -
Gordon Ramsay, MLA | Media Releases
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