January 30, 2009: New Drugs Court

The first of four new dedicated drug courts announced by Justice Secretary Jack Straw was launched in Barnsley today. The new court will tackle the problem of drug abusing offenders who commit low-level crime to fund their addiction.

When an offender is found guilty and sent to the dedicated drug court to be sentenced, the same magistrate or district judge will sentence the offender and review the progress of offenders on community orders with a drug rehabilitation requirement. Offenders will also be required to undergo regular drug tests.

The Justice Secretary said:

'Offenders who are sentenced in the drug court will have committed crime to fuel their addictions. In order to reduce reoffending, and help offenders back on the right track, the court will focus tackling crime committed by drug addicted offenders.

'Many of the offenders concerned come from chaotic backgrounds where stability has been lacking, so continuity and accountability in the court is especially important. These dedicated drug courts will benefit the entire community.'

The dedicated drug court encourages closer working between agencies and treatment providers in Barnsley, from the police to the judiciary, to reduce drug abuse and related offending behaviour. Wherever possible the same magistrate or district judge will deal with any breaches and re-sentence if necessary, considering all the options including custody.

Attending the launch, HM Courts Service Chief Executive Chris Mayer commented:

'Drug-related crime can have a devastating effect on a local community. The Barnsley dedicated drugs court aims to tackle the problem head on to reduce drug related offending. The pilot brings together the court, judiciary, probation, police, Crown Prosecution Service, drug and alcohol teams and others working in partnership to make the pilot a success.'

The dedicated drug courts form part of the national initiative to take a more holistic approach dealing with offenders with specific needs. The idea behind the court is that seeing familiar faces can help build a relationship of trust and confidence between the judge and addict, motivating defendants to salvage their life from the hold of drugs.

Two other dedicated drug court pilots were launched at Leeds and West London Magistrates' Courts in December 2005. The decision to extend the pilot scheme to four more courts was announced in April 2008, after an evaluation indicated they can have a positive impact on reoffending, court attendance and compliance.

The remaining three drug court pilots will be officially launched in Cardiff, Salford, and Bristol magistrates' courts later this year.