Alternative To Incarceration

CAMH Connexions

Winter 2005-06

The Toronto Drug Treatment Court

In the winter of 1998, the Canadian criminal justice system began taking a new approach to those who have committed offenses and also have a substance use problem when it opened Canada's first Drug Treatment Court (DTC).

The Toronto Drug Treatment Court (TDTC) was designed to give those who committed non-violent offenses, motivated by an addiction, a chance to enter treatment and rebuild their lives. This new program gave an alternative to incarceration, recognizing that the current system did not work to solve the problems that contribute to crime, but encouraged an ongoing cycle of drug use, crime and incarceration.

The opening of the Toronto Drug Treatment Court marked a philosophical shift in treatment from punishment to rehabilitation. Eligibility for the program continues to be based upon an individual assessment of a person's past rates of criminality and the offences they have committed.

Those who qualify participate in an individualized outpatient program structured upon recommendations by a CAMH case manager (who provides counsel), the DTC Judge and the individual themselves. Through a comprehensive system of requirements including treatment, urinanalysis, and court appearances, along with support from community agencies, participants learn to reduce drug use and to take responsibility for their actions and ultimately their lives. CAMH works-alongside community agencies that provide education and job training-to afford clients of the DTC with the opportunity to build the skills that encourage healthy life choices and a promising future once they have completed the program (see Paulette Walker's story).

This unique approach to rehabilitation has been successful in helping DTC participants begin new lives. From the Court's inception in 1998 until 2005, the TDTC has served nearly 500 people; of these, eighty-five percent have not re-offended.

"These numbers speak for themselves," said Richard Coleman, Coordinator, Toronto Drug Treatment Court. "Through the success of the TDTC we see that there are other ways to help people not only overcome their substance use problems but also have a successful life afterwards."

The success of the Toronto DTC has inspired the creation of similar courts in Australia and the United Kingdom, utilizing an approach that fosters treatment over punishment and responsibility over helplessness to assist those who need it the most.

Micheal Torres, Public Affairs, CAMH

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