Establishment of an ACT Youth Drug and Alcohol Court
A Youth Drug and Alcohol Court (YDAC) is being established in the ACT. The ATOD sector has been discussing the need for such an initiative and ATODA is actively involved in its development.
YDAC is a program of the Children’s Court concerned with reducing drug and/or alcohol related criminal activity by children and young people through judicial and therapeutic interventions that are designed to reduce or manage drug and/or alcohol use. It provides a pre-sentencing process that aims to divert young offenders from custody by addressing the issues related to drug and alcohol offending in a holistic way. It is anticipated that the YDAC will proceed on a trial basis for a period of two years and that an evaluation will be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the program.
It is thought that referrals to YDAC will be accepted from 1 December 2011.
For further information please contact:
Sarah McAuley
Assistant Manager
Diversionary Programs
Youth Justice Case Management
Phone:62071010
Email: Sarah.McAuley@act.gov.au
Carrie Fowlie
Executive Officer
ATODA
Phone: (02) 6255 4070
Email: carrie@atoda.org.au
For further information about the YDAC read:
Childrens Court of the ACT. Youth Drug and Alcohol Court Program. Practice Direction No. 1 of 2011
The YDAC Practice Group, lead by Youth Services, Community Services Directorate, is overseeing the development and implementation. The group is meeting regularly until December 2011. ATODA is a member of this group.
Further information will be available soon.
An evaluation of the YDAC will be conducted; this work is being led by the AOD Policy Unit, Health Directorate. The first meeting will be held in October 2011. ATODA is a member of this group.
Further information will be available soon.
How effective are drug courts in reducing substance abuse and crime?
A five-year study in the United States ‘compared participants in 23 drug courts in seven states to similar defendants who went through conventional case processing’. It found that ‘drug court participants were one-third less likely to report using drugs 18 months after their enrollment in the program. And they were responsible for less than half as many criminal acts as the comparison group after 18 months. Largely because of these reductions in criminal behaviour, drug courts ended up saving an estimated $5,680 per participant’.
Center for Court Innovation Projects (2011). The Multi-Site Adult Drug Court evaluation, Center for Court Innovation Projects, viewed 4 August 2011, http://www.courtinnovation.org/multi-site-adult-drug-court-evaluation.
Marlowe, D. (2010). The facts on juvenile drug treatment courts. National Association of Drug Court Professionals: Alexandria, Virginia.
Social Policy Research Centre (2004). Evaluation of the NSW Youth Drug and Alcohol Court Program: Final Report. NSW Attorney-General’s Department: Sydney.
National Drug Court institute and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (2003). Juvenile drug courts: Strategies in practice. US Bureau of Justice Assistance: Washington.
Youth Drug Court Closure Sparks Debate
ABC News 3 June 2012
Drug Court for children aims to turn lives around
Canberra Times, 1 August 2011
Drug court to help keep youth out of jail
ABC News, 1 August 2011
666 ABC Radio Interviews with:
ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell – http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-01/simon-corbell-speaks-with-666-presenter-ross-solly/2819284
Magistrate Karen Fryar – http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-01/magistrate-karen-fryar-speaks-with-666-presenter/2819276
Athol Opas, ACT Law Society – http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-01/666-presenter-ross-solly-speaks-with-athol-opas/2819286
Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drug Association ACT
(02) 6255 4070
info@atoda.org.au
Last updated 17 July 2012
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