DRUG TREATMENT PROGRAM SUPERVISED BY THE COURT

BERGEN Inhabitants: app Number of injecting abusers: 1000 – 2500 OSLO Inhabitants: appr Number of injecting drug-abusers:

Prison population Approximately 3400 prison cells 71 out of inhabitants in prison Average prison-sentence: 100 days 60 % of the inmates have a drug-problem 1/3 of them are serving sentences for drug- related 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 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 Political will – all the political parties The Supreme Court Media Funding?? Bergen and Oslo safe as pilots.