Related link
Dublin Drug Treatment Court

The Drug Treatment Court Programme (DTC) is an innovative programme in which drug addicts who are convicted of non-violent crimes can get a much-needed chance to escape the cycle of drugs, crime and prison. Suitable candidates are assessed on the basis of their motivation to commit to the programme.

Participants are constantly under the supervision of the Court. The court is supported in this role by a team consisting of:

• a DTC liaison nurse;
• a probation officer;
• an education coordinator
• Gardaí working at the Drug Court; and
• other people who can help the participants.

Once a person is accepted into the programme, his/her charge(s) is put on hold. If they are successful in the programme, eventually they may graduate and the charge(s) will be struck off the record. However, persistent non-compliance and/or non-attendance may result in the court imposing sanctions on the participant. In extreme circumstances, where it is clear that the participant will not succeed in the programme, the court will send the person back to the original court for sentencing.

A person who is interested in participating in this programme can apply to do so. As an initial requirement the person must have pleaded guilty or have been convicted of certain offences in the District Court. They (or their solicitor) can then ask the judge to remand them to the Drug Treatment Court. It will be up to the judge to decide whether to send you to the Drug Treatment Court or deal with you otherwise.

The other criteria for application are:

• the person must live in Dublin;
• they need to be over 17 years of age and,
• they must want to get off drugs.

There are different treatments available. A person can detoxify in the community or in hospital or go drug free, or take methadone maintenance or methadone reduction. The individual concerned will come to an agreement about the treatment with the Team and attend counselling and group work. As well as the drug treatment the person will be required to take part in educational and/or other programmes within the community to give him/her new skills or improve skills he/she may already have. They might even get a job.

For each participant a Personal Progression Plan or PPP is drawn up. This charts their progress through the programme. The programme consists of 3 phases illustrating the participants' decreasing levels of dependency on drugs and an increase in their corresponding independence and pro-social attitudes.

Phase 1 is the Stabilisation and Orientation, phase 2 is Consolidation and Habituation and phase 3 is Integration and Self-Management. Finally, on successful completion of all phases of the programme, the participant takes part in the DTC Programme Graduation.

Each of the above phases is described in terms of 'goals' and 'actions'. The 'goals' are what the participant must seek to have achieved by the end of the phase. The 'actions' are the responsibilities of the team members that support the participant in the attaining his/her goal. The members of the team have specific roles in relation to each phase and the DTC Coordinator is their main focal point of interaction. Decisions on participants' success at each phase is made by the judge on the basis of information provided by the team.

Depending on individual needs and motivation, the programme lasts at least a year.

More information is available from the Drug Treatment Coordinator