Where addiction and crime intersect: Drug court expected to begin this fall

Newfoundland and Labrador is launching a program to deal with people whose crimes have been motivated by addiction.

The 2018 budget dedicated $200,000 to the implementation of a drug treatment court, and the province's justice minister says that court will be up and running in the fall. 

• $30K study into possible drug treatment court in N.L.

Andrew Parsons said his department has spent the last year hiring individuals to work on policy, and they have travelled across the country to look at other models. 

"Even yesterday, I was getting emails from individuals who have been talking about their struggles with addiction and going through the court system. We know that there is a need," he said Wednesday.

Parsons said "there's still a few links to be worked out," adding that the province has not yet decided where the program will operate. 

Majority of offenders struggle with substance abuse 

However, the department has previously said that a drug court would likely run out of existing buildings, like Atlantic Place, where St. John's provincial court is located. 

Parsons said the model is based on restorative justice and addressing the root causes of why people find themselves tied up in the court system. 

"We have to find ways to address treatment, and then people have an opportunity to stay connected to the court system — but coming out through the other end, it won't be the same result," he said. 

The federal government provided $30,000 to the province in 2016 for a feasibility study into establishing a drug treatment court. It found that the vast majority of offenders have past or present substance abuse issues.