Appendix A: Drug Treatment Court principles

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The Public Prosecution Service of Canada Deskbook58 pertaining to Drug Treatment Courts (DTCs) lists the following internationally recognized DTC principles that have been adopted by the Canadian Association of Drug Treatment Court Professionals. In order to be approved by the Attorney General (or representative), a DTC program should comply with these principles.

• Integrated justice system case processing and substance use treatment services;
• A non-adversarial approach to case problem solving by the judge, prosecutor and defence counsel;
• Eligible participants are identified early and placed in the Drug Treatment Court program as promptly as possible;
• DTCs provide access to a broad continuum of treatment and rehabilitative services;
• Objective monitoring of participants’ compliance by frequent substance abuse testing;
• Coordinated strategic response to program compliance and non-compliance by all disciplines involved (including police, probation, prosecutor, treatment, social workers and court);
• Swift, certain and consistent sanctions or rewards for non-compliance or compliance;
• Ongoing direct judicial interaction with participants;
• Monitoring and evaluation processes for the achievement of program goals and to gauge effectiveness;
• Continuing interdisciplinary education of the entire DTC team;
• Forge partnerships among courts, treatment and rehabilitation programs, public agencies and community-based organizations to increase program effectiveness and generate local support for the program;
• Ongoing case management, including social re-integration support; and,
• Adjustable program content, including incentives and sanctions, for groups with special needs, (e.g. women, minority ethnic groups and persons with mental disorders).

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