BACKGROUND The Norwegian Drug Court started 1. January Two projects in Oslo and Bergen Established two DC-centres Duration: End of 2010

The purpose of the project Alternative to prison Reduce criminality Reduce use of illegal drugs Improve: - health of the participants - social conditions - housing etc.

The Target Groups The first client into the program March 2006 People with drug related crime Motivated for the DC-program - concent to forensic research - meet for consultations at the centre

Oslo In persons were forensic researched Only 11 were found suitable for the program Too few suitable for the program?

Gender In of 44 persons were women In of 41 persons were women

Who takes initiative to the forensic research? In Oslo 3/4 of all initiatives were taken by the client’s defender Just 1/5 of the initiatives were taken by the police 1/10 by the courts

Oslo (per ) The DC-centre has received 39 persons in the program - 7 persons finished the program - 13 persons are still in the program 19 persons dropped out of the program - new criminality - did not follow the program

-9 of these dropped the program in persons fullfilled the program in 2009 Positive development

EVALUATION: Preliminary Evaluation March 2010 By the end of 2009 totally 85 clients were in the program. Of these 26 clients have been interviewed 3 times.

The Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research (SIRUS) has conducted a preliminary evaluation of the projects in Bergen and Oslo.

Now 85 clients totally in the program By the end of clients Of these 26 clients are interviewed at 3 different times during the program: T1 - By the time they enter the program after the sentence in the court T2 - After one year in the program T3 - After two years in the program

Methode/instrument used: ASI (Addiction Severity Index) which covers: - use of illegal drugs - criminality - health - work - family - social condition

Of the 47 clients in 2006 and 2007, 64% dropped out of the program. 19% (5) of the 26 clients fullfilled the program 15% (4) are still in the program 65% (17) have dropped out Is this a good result?

Drop outs Average time in the program: 223 days Shortest: 15 days Longest: 874 days The probation will make the clients stay longer in the project.

Use of drugs on T1, T2 and T3 T1 - 69% T2 - 46% T3 - 54%

Specific drug use (%) N=26 T1 T3 Heroin Amphetamine Cocaine 8 0 Cannabis There is a certain decline in illegal use of drugs.

Effect on criminality? Illegal sale or posession of drugs Stealing, robbery etc. Violence

Charge with crime (%) T1 T2 T3 Sale or posession Stealing, robbery Violence Other crime The program seems to have a positive effect on reducing crime.

The gravity of criminality There is a promising trend towards reducing the gravity of the criminality, specially among the clients who are not in the control institutions. Internationally: Drug Courts seem to reduce the risk of recidive generally. This seems also to be the best effect of the DC-program for Norway.

CONCLUSIONS Scientifically there is no sufficient data to conclude that DC-program will reduce the illegal use of drugs among the clients substansially. However there is a promising tendency. The DC-program is more promising concerning the aim to reduce the criminality among the clients.

QUESTIONS Do the results make it worth continuing the program? Resources Any benefits for the clients Protecton for the society