Member for Kiama Gareth Ward has called for all political parties to unite and back
calls from lawyers, social services, judicial officers and psychologists to establish a
drug court in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions..
Mr Ward said the statistics speak for themselves with Bureau of Crime Statistics and
Reporting data making the case clearer than ever.
With the NSW Drug Summit underway, Mr Ward said that a Drug Court was an
important piece of the puzzle in getting people off drugs and turning lives around.
“If you have been addicted, or you know someone who has, you would know and
appreciate the devastating impacts drugs can have on individuals, families, and
communities. Drug Courts work, and it makes absolutely no sense that other regions
have Drug Courts and the Illawarra doesn’t,” Mr Ward said.
“BOCSR statistics show that 37% of people receiving treatment through a Drug
Court program are less likely to be convicted of an offence. 65% are less likely to be
convicted of an offence against a person, 35% are less likely to be convicted of a
property offence and 58% are less likely to be reconvicted of a drug offence. What
more does this government need than its very own data?
“Drug Courts are not about soft-touch penalties. Drug Courts are about getting
people off drugs, re-integrating people into our community and cutting crime that is
often associated with drug dependency which can range from theft to serious
assault.
“People make mistakes, but why should people lose their careers because they
made one bad decision? By all means, throw the book at those selling and peddling
drugs, but where we can turn someone’s life around, we should. Drug Courts may
not be the earliest of interventions, but for people at this point in their justice journey
its better late than never.
“Whilst I welcome the $47.8 million announced by the NSW Government for drug
and alcohol treatment services in our region, when it comes to social services, we
need fences at the top of the cliff rather than ambulances at the bottom.
“Drug Courts are specialist courts that establish wraparound services, get people off
drugs, and help charter a pathway back in collaboration with local support services.
“It’s a no-brainer and whilst I welcome the conversations being had at the Drug
Summit and additional funding, all of this falls short if the right systems aren’t in
place. I say this as a former FACS Minister and local MP who wants to work with the
government to back sensible reforms that change lives for the better; everything else
is just hollow ‘talk’,” Mr Ward concluded.
