19 Oct 2018

Gap in drug-testing regime undermines court for drug addicts

From Morning Report, 8:45 am on 19 October 2018

A drug court set up to deal with addicted offenders is showing positive signs of turning lives around, but one of the judges running it says it needs to be able to tighten up its offender drug-testing. Judge Ema Aitken says gaps in the urine sample collection regime makes it easier to cheat drug-tests and could be undermining the authority of the court. The alcohol and other drugs treatment court has been run as a pilot for the past 6 years to see if funneling drug-addicted criminals away from prison and into intensive rehab can stop their re-offending long term. Insight's senior specialist reporter, Teresa Cowie spent a day at the Court and filed this report.