DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM SUPERVISED BY THE COURT BERGEN

DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM SUPERVISED BY THE COURT

BERGEN • Inhabitants: app. . 250. 000 • Number of injecting abusers: 1000 – 2500 OSLO • Inhabitants: appr. 550. 000 • Number of injecting drug-abusers: 6000 -7500

Prison population • • Approximately 3400 prison cells 71 out of 100 000 inhabitants in prison Average prison-sentence: 100 days 60 % of the inmates have a drug-problem 1/3 of them are serving sentences for drugrelated crimes • In 2008 : 2800 community service sentences

BACKGROUND • • • Working group with participants from different ministries. Mandate: to make a report on whether the Drug Court system should be implemented in Norway, and if so: how? Look to Dublin and Glasgow. The report was presented in September 2004, and the conclusion was that the results from other drug-court countries were so good that this was something Norway should try. The report suggested that the court should lead the drug treatment program. Comments: skepticism (especially the Supreme Court) to a system where the courts would be so involved in the serving of a sentence. The courts independence to the public administration. The result: Norway should implement a drug treatment program supervised/controlled by the court (not led by).

THE NORWEGIAN WAY • Suspended sentence (various lengths) with the condition to attend a drug treatment and rehabilitation program supervised by the court • Usually 2 years probation period • Legal authority: New statutory provision in the Criminal Code, section 53 and 54. • The new section also decided that the Ministry of Justice should give administrative regulation to the drug-treatment program. • DTC day centre: unit under the Correctional service (like the prisons an probation offices)

BASIS • Different ministries involved (Justice, health, welfare, education, labour and social inclusion) • Different agencies – interdisciplinary team located in the same day-centre • Local steering group – leaders from: - correctional service - health service - local council - county administration (education) - police - district court

THE DTC-TEAM • A leader/coordinator, employed by the regional level of the correctional service. • A social worker employed by the local council. • A psychologist/nurse employed by the local health service. • A probation officer also employed by the correctional service. • An educational adviser employed by the county administration. • • Communication - information Other agencies

GOALS • Rehabilitation • Preventing new crimes • Coordinating different kind of help

PROCEDURE: arrest - sentence • Arrest • Very often custody while the police are investigating the crimes • Social inquiry report/assessment. The team has to conclude whether the offender is suitable for the program or not. The public prosecution/the court has to formally ask for the report. • The team usually needs 5 -8 weeks to finish the report. We talk to the offender and we get information from other agencies. Then the team work closely together to conclude on suitability. • When we have finished the report we send it back to the public prosecutor. • Then we have to wait until the main hearing is over and the judge passing the sentence, then we formally start the serving of the sentence.

THE JUDGES - supervising • There are 6 judges in both Oslo and Bergen District court who are Drug Court judges. • Each participant get their “own” judge. The judge is not the same judge that pronounced the sentence. • The drug court judge and the participant meet for the first time, soon after the conviction. (Informal meeting in the Judges office). • The judge is not part of the team and there are no pre-court meetings. • When the DTC-team find that the participant qualifies to be transferred to the next phase – the DTC-leader sends a petition to the court. • Between the phases the judge has follow-up meetings with the participant. • When there is breach of conditions the DTC-leader also sends a petition to the court.

4 PHASES • • 1. implementation-phase 2. stabilization-phase 3. responsibility-phase 4. the last phase will focus on getting on with normal lives • The phases will last as long as they have to, different from person to person. The whole program is adjusted very individually.

BREACHES

BREACHES - SANCTIONS • Drug abuse, not keeping appointments, no progression • DTC-team - warnings • Court - new conditions - put back to an earlier phase - prison (all of the prison sentence or a part of it) • NB! Very individually • DTC-leader/coordinator conducts in court • New crimes – police/public prosecution

MAKING A DIFFERENCE ? ? !! Alternative to prison

Status pr. 23. 06. 09 • Number of sentences: 91 • 6 has succeeded • Ca 45 % still going strong!! • Look behind the numbers!!!!!!…. . • Breaches: receiving a prison sentence

WHAT IS SUCCESS?

COSTS - EFFECTIVENESS

EVALUATION DRUG

THE FUTURE • Report to the Storting/Parliament sept. 2008 • Political will – all the political parties • The Supreme Court • Media • Funding? ? • Bergen and Oslo safe as pilots.