A pilot programme focussing on drugs and alcohol is expected to be a game changer in the criminal justice system and if success could be trialled in other parts of the country including the Bay of Plenty.

Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court will target addictions in a bid to reduce recidivism offending.

The Bay of Plenty is the worst region for drug driving offences with more than 100 drivers caught driving under the influence since the introduction of the anti-drug driving law in November 2009 to the beginning of September.

A total of 139 compulsory impairment tests have been carried out in the BOP since the introduction of the law.

Western Bay of Plenty road policing manager Senior Sergeant Ian Campion says no other district has more than 100.

'So we are well ahead the rest of the country, nationally, which isn't a good thing.

'Bay of Plenty is by far the district with the most number of drug driving related incidents and those who choose to drive after taking drugs are targeted by staff in the Western Bay of Plenty.”

In the Bay of Plenty, 139 drivers have been charged with drug driving between November 1, 2009 and July 31, 2012.

Of the 139 a total of 88 registered THC, four with opiates; 29 with stimulants and three with sedatives.
Ian says there is a high number of people using cannabis and driving with stimulants, the second highest with 29 recorded.

One of two specialised drug courts has been set up in Auckland with the courts being a first for New Zealand and differing from the drug court based at the Christchurch Youth court.

New Zealand is taking its lead from drug courts overseas, which are having positive results in turning around the lives of offenders, says district court Judge Lisa Temewan.

'One guy now has a doctorate. One is a district attorney. They were users on serious drug matters.”

At a community forum last week Judge Tremewan explained what the programme was and how it had been set up.

She says the AODTC model was created in the United States in 1989, and there are now more than 2500 'drug courts” in the US.

The model has also been successfully implemented across a number of other countries, including Australia and Canada.

Judge Tremewan referred to the courts as 'the most researched courts in the world” and the model has been heralded as a major success in lowering recidivism rates among offenders suffering drug and alcohol addiction issues.

Around 80 per cent of criminal offending in the country is reported to happen under the influence of alcohol or drugs, with treatments order either as a sentence or after a sentence is imposed.

Judge Tremewan says an important difference with the drug court would be to engage the offender and get them assessed before sentencing.

A court-based clinician would test and assess an offender and the court would include wrap-around services in an individual plan of intervention and mandatory drug tests.

Judge Tremewan says the offender would be sentenced after completing the plan.

She says the goal is to get them clean and reduce repeat offending.