A former drug addict, James Sturch, has argued that prison rehabilitation programs are not effective and that investing in drug treatment courts could help reduce crime. The Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court (AODTC) was launched in 2012 as an alternative to prison for offenders with addiction issues. Despite a high number of prisoners struggling with substance abuse, no additional courts have been established.
Sturch, who spent most of his teenage years in prison due to his methamphetamine addiction, was accepted into the AODTC program after his last conviction. He now works as a peer support specialist in the court and believes the program was life-changing, allowing him to address his childhood trauma and understand the impact of his crimes on his victims. He also argues that the program treats offenders as people rather than criminals and should be implemented nationwide.
However, in 2019, the Ministry of Justice argued that the court was expensive with limited benefits. Criminologist Roger Brooking disagreed, stating that the AODTC significantly reduced reoffending rates. He also claimed that the program could save the government millions of dollars per year.
Judge Lisa Tremewan, who has worked with the AODTC since its establishment, agreed that the program could bring about transformational results. However, Ministry of Justice spokeswoman Rebecca Parish said that referrals to the court had dropped since 2017 and that chronic addiction was hard to break. Minister for Courts Nicole McKee added that expanding the drug courts would not be straightforward due to practical requirements.
