BOWBRICK SEEKS FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR DRUG COURTS IN B.C.

Attorney-general Says The First Could Open Here In a 'Matter Of Months'

What impressed me most was it is a very progressive approach to dealing
with crime. It tries to create the right intersection of the justice and
health-care systems. - Graeme Bowbrick, B.C. Attorney-General

B.C. Attorney-General Graeme Bowbrick wants federal Liberal candidates in
the province to stand up and support their party's drug-treatment court
proposal.

After touring a two-year-old pilot project in Toronto last week, Bowbrick
said he would like to see a similar court established on Vancouver's
Downtown Eastside.

"What impressed me most was it is a very progressive approach to dealing
with crime," Bowbrick said in a telephone interview from Ontario.

"It tries to create the right intersection of the justice and health-care
systems. It's a valiant attempt and it seems to be working well.

"Because this doesn't involve building a new building, I think it can be a
matter of months [before such a court is established in B.C.]. But what we
really need is the federal money as part of this program."

Specialized drug courts were originally established in 1989 in Florida by
now-U.S. Attorney-General Janet Reno. These courts proved so effective in
combatting recidivism that there now are several hundred operating across
the U.S., putatively directing addicts into treatment, retraining and a new
life.

Canada's only drug-treatment court opened two years ago in Toronto under
Judge Paul Bentley, the centrepiece of a four-year, $1.6-million federally
funded experiment.

The federal Liberal Party campaign platform unveiled a week ago promises a
beefed-up crime-and-drug-fighting strategy aimed at reducing the supply of
drugs and the demand for illicit substances.

The so-called Red Book says the strategy would enhance prevention, improve
treatment and rehabilitation, and support an expanded range of enforcement
and control responses such as drug-treatment courts.

"Now is an ideal time for a Liberal MP or cabinet minister from B.C. during
this election campaign to step forward and offer a more specific political
level of support," said Bowbrick.

"What I'd like to do is be in touch with the new justice minister right
after the election and see what I can do to hold them to this broad
commitment they're making in their Red Book."

Instead of waiting to go to trial in the regular justice system, accused
drug abusers who opt for drug-treatment court are quickly placed in a
program designed to help them beat their addiction and achieve social
stability.

Sentencing an addict to treatment as opposed to incarceration saves tens of
thousands of dollars a year in tax dollars.

In Toronto, anyone charged with possession, possession for the purpose of
trafficking, or trafficking, and who has a drug dependency, can file the
one-page application with the Crown attorney to be transferred to the
drug-treatment court.

Accused who flunk out or drop out of treatment are returned to the ordinary
justice system for sentencing.

So far, Judge Bentley and other participants in the experiment say it's a
huge success that has helped rehabilitate scores of people.

"I think it can work in B.C.," said Bowbrick, who added that he has the
support of Premier Ujjal Dosanjh for the initiative.

"The only thing I would like to see be different is I'd like to see the
court broadened in terms of the kind of offences that come before the
court. In Toronto, they only deal with federal drug offences. I'd like to
see a B.C. court also deal with offences that are related to drug abuse,
for example property crime."

Bowbrick said although there are concerns that addiction treatment services
in the province are inadequate and unable to support a drug-treatment
court, he believes such problems could be quickly overcome.

Drug-court treatment services would be on top of available voluntary
addiction services, he added, and Victoria wants Ottawa to help pay for
those extra services.