Toronto’s Drug Treatment CourtThe Toronto DTC, established in December of 1998, “…is a court specifically designed to supervise cases of drug dependant offenders who have agreed to accept treatment for their substance abuse” (Bentley, 2001:4). It is also “…an innovative alternative to the criminal justice system for people with a recognizable drug addiction who are facing non-violent drug-related offences” (NCPS, no date:1; emphasis added), which seems to place the DTC outside of the criminal justice system entirely. Or, according to a presenter at the First National Drug Treatment Court Workshop, held in Toronto from September 23 through 26, 2001, the focus rests more firmly on the therapeutic aspect of therapeutic jurisprudence: “DTC’s are court-directed substance abuse treatment programs” (FNDTCW, 2001:20). These varying definitions capture the dual nature of the DTC, which attempts to strike a balance between criminal justice issues and health. According to the National Crime Prevention Strategy, the Toronto DTC has “adopted a harm-reduction approach that aims to increase public safety by reducing drug addiction and the crimes committed to support a drug habit” (NCPS, no date:1). While the NCPS does not go on to identify what these crimes could be, additional information on the “harm-reduction” principle of the Toronto DTC is provided in a paper summarizing the Federal Crown Prosecutor’s perspective on DTC’s:
These authors go on to suggest that achieving cost savings is a guiding factor in the operation of the Toronto DTC, as well as “to incorporate the Principles of Restorative Justice:”
Target clientele for the Toronto DTC include “prostitutes, youth, and visible minorities” (Bentley, 2001:7), although others with drug-related offences may be eligible if they meet the additional entrance criteria of being drug-dependent, non-violent, and charged with possession or trafficking in small quantities of crack/cocaine or heroin. “Those offenders with more serious records or who are charged with trafficking, will be required to plead guilty to the charges as a condition of entering the programme” (Bentley, 2001:7). As well, “[f]urther pre-conditions of entry include the signing of a consent to dispense with Crown disclosure, and an agreement that the imposition of a sentence will be delayed” (Bentley 2001:12). |
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