New Vancouver court accommodates city's drug addicts

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by Change | 5 Jul 2010

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A woman who successfully received drug addiction treatment in Vancouver has been among the first people to appear before a new type of court in the city.

In May, Jeanine Joe was spotted by members of Vancouver Island Health Authority's Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team on the pavement having suffered a drug overdose, The Vancouver Sun reports.

After receiving drug addiction intervention, she was brought before Victoria Integrated Court, which is organised by the local community.

Sitting every Tuesday morning, it deals with a select group of long term drug and alcohol addicts. To be seen in front of the court, defendants have to demonstrate a desire to understand the causes of their criminal behaviour.

They must also be willing to receive addiction support from the ACT team and the Victoria Integrated Outreach Community.

Ernie Quantz, a provincial court judge, told the newspaper that he had wanted to see the setting up of a specific court for people suffering from drug addiction and associated mental health problems.

"Our goal was to open up this new function of the court with zero money spent, zero budget and without adding to the workload of Crown, probation or the court itself," he explained.

Vancouver's drug addiction problems have got gradually worse over the past decade, with the most commonly-used substances being heroin, crack cocaine and cocaine.

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