BACKGROUND The Norwegian Drug Court

started 1. January 2006.

• Two projects in Oslo and Bergen• Established two DC-centres• Duration: End of 2010

The purpose of the project• Alternative to prison• Reduce criminality• Reduce use of illegal drugs• Improve: - health of the participants - social conditions - housing etc.

The Target Groups

• The first client into the program March 2006

• People with drug related crime• Motivated for the DC-program - concent to forensic research - meet for consultations at the centre

Oslo

• In 2009 44 persons were forensic researched

• Only 11 were found suitable for the program

Too few suitable for the program?

Gender

• In 2009 6 of 44 persons were women

• In 2008 6 of 41 persons were women

Who takes initiative to the forensic research?

• In Oslo 3/4 of all initiatives were taken by the client’s defender

• Just 1/5 of the initiatives were taken by the police

• 1/10 by the courts

Oslo (per 31.12.09)

• The DC-centre has received 39 persons in the program

- 7 persons finished the program - 13 persons are still in the program• 19 persons dropped out of the

program - new criminality - did not follow the program

- 9 of these dropped the program in 2009

- 5 persons fullfilled the program in 2009

Positive development

EVALUATION: Preliminary Evaluation March 2010

By the end of 2009 totally 85 clients were in the program.

Of these 26 clients have been interviewed 3 times.

The Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research (SIRUS) has conducted a preliminary

evaluation of the projects in Bergen and Oslo.

• Now 85 clients totally in the program• By the end of 2007 47 clients• Of these 26 clients are interviewed at 3

different times during the program: T1 - By the time they enter the program after the sentence in the court T2 - After one year in the program T3 - After two years in the program

Methode/instrument used: ASI (Addiction Severity Index) which covers:

- use of illegal drugs - criminality - health - work - family - social condition

Of the 47 clients in 2006 and 2007, 64% dropped out of the program.

• 19% (5) of the 26 clients fullfilled the program

• 15% (4) are still in the program• 65% (17) have dropped out

Is this a good result?

Drop outs

• Average time in the program: 223 days

• Shortest: 15 days• Longest: 874 days

The probation will make the clients stay longer in the project.

Use of drugs on T1, T2 and T3

• T1 - 69%• T2 - 46%• T3 - 54%

Specific drug use (%) N=26

T1 T3• Heroin 27 12• Amphetamine 42 39• Cocaine 8 0• Cannabis 50 39

There is a certain decline in illegal use of drugs.

Effect on criminality?

• Illegal sale or posession of drugs• Stealing, robbery etc.• Violence

Charge with crime (%)

T1 T2 T3Sale or posession 100 23 27Stealing, robbery 100 38 31Violence 50 12 15Other crime 8 4 0

The program seems to have a positive effect on reducing crime.

The gravity of criminality

• There is a promising trend towards reducing the gravity of the criminality, specially among the clients who are not in the control institutions.

• Internationally: Drug Courts seem to reduce the risk of recidive generally.

• This seems also to be the best effect of the DC-program for Norway.

CONCLUSIONS

• Scientifically there is no sufficient data to conclude that DC-program will reduce the illegal use of drugs among the clients substansially. However there is a promising tendency.

• The DC-program is more promising concerning the aim to reduce the criminality among the clients.

QUESTIONS

Do the results make it worth continuing the program?

• Resources• Any benefits for the clients• Protecton for the society