As drug-related crime escalates, new Ministry of Justice figures show the specialist addictions court is improving re-offending outcomes at rates far higher than the prison-based initiatives.
Last week local and international experts convened at the Alcohol and Other Drugs Treatment Court conference to discuss best practice, foster collaboration, and present the newest research into the courts' effectiveness.
An aim of the conference was also to encourage the further rollout of these courts in other parts of Aotearoa.
Since the court's inception in 2012 about 300 people have graduated, and latest Ministry of Justice figures show that within the first year graduates reoffend at a rate 50 percent lower than comparable offenders and long term re-offending rates remain lower at
