(Barbados Nation) Barbados’ drug treatment court is to become a reality in the first half of 2013, Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite said yesterday.
Brathwaite told the WEEKEND NATION that the court which will give drug offenders a chance to get rehabilitative treatment would not be an escape route from prison.
“People have speculated that a chap may volunteer and say he wants to be treated because he doesn’t want to go to [Her Majesty’s Prisons] Dodds. We will ensure that there is an assessment and testing to make sure that does not happen,” Brathwaite said.
“The programme has been given the green light by Cabinet two weeks ago, and the Chief Justice, the Superintendent of Prisons John Nurse, director of the Edna Nicholls Centre, Deborah Hewitt have already given it their blessing.
“Under the programme, an offender who volunteers for the drug treatment court, will be evaluated by the probation department, drug court staff and other substance abuse officials who will be specially trained.
“If you have fallen off the wagon, there are some sanctions that may be applied. You are given certain privileges if you are in the programme because you have not been incarcerated, but if you have fallen off the wagon, you can actually be sentenced.”
