Drug Treatment Court Funding Program

INTRODUCTION

The Programs Branch of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme at the Department of Health, is responsible for the overall management of the Drug Treatment Court (DTC) Funding Program.

DTCs represent a concerted effort to break the cycle of drug use and criminal recidivism. They focus on facilitating treatment for drug-involved offenders who meet specified criteria and provide an alternative to incarceration by offering an opportunity to complete a drug treatment program. These special courts take a comprehensive approach intended to reduce the number of crimes committed to support drug dependence through judicial supervision, comprehensive substance abuse treatment, random and frequent drug testing, incentives and sanctions, clinical case management, and social services support. They are aimed at reducing the harm people cause to themselves and to others through their drug use, as well as reducing the risk that these individuals will continue to use drugs and thereby come into conflict with the law.

There are now 6 DTCs operating in Canada: Edmonton (December 2005) Winnipeg (January 2006), Ottawa (March 2006) and Regina (October 2006). Existing DTCs continue to operate in Toronto (December 1998) and Vancouver (December 2001). All of these programs, as a condition of their funding, are responsible for developing site-specific results-based evaluation/accountability frameworks, as well contributing to the national evaluation/accountability framework.

The objectives of the DTC Funding Program are as follows:

• To promote and strengthen the use of alternatives to incarceration with a particular focus on youth, Aboriginal men and women and street prostitutes;
• To build knowledge and awareness among criminal justice, health and social service practitioners, and the general public about drug treatment courts; and
• To collect information and data on the effectiveness of DTCs in order to promote best practices and the continuing refinement of approaches.
  

For further information, please contact:

Margaret Trottier
Senior Analyst
Drug Treatment Court Funding Program
Programs Branch, Department of Justice Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa , Ontario K1A 0H8
Or electronically to : margaret.trottier@justice.gc.ca
Or by phone at: (613) 946-6634
Or by fax to: (613) 941-5446