There are calls for Dubbo’s Drug Court to open more often.
The opening of a specialist Drug Court in Dubbo in February was hailed as a step toward addressing “postcode injustice” when it became the state’s fourth court of this kind, joining existing services in Sydney CBD, Parramatta, and Toronto in the Hunter region.
An expansion of the program to Dubbo had been a recommendation made in numerous investigations, including the 2018 inquiry into drug rehabilitation services in regional, remote and rural areas, as well as the 2020 inquiry into the drug ice.
Drug Courts divert drug dependent offenders into supervised treatment plans, aiming to reduce or eliminate drug dependence. Treatment options include abstinence and pharmacotherapy programs, which can be provided in either a community or residential rehabilitation environment.
On opening, the Drug Court in Dubbo could host up to 80 drug-dependent adults facing imprisonment who have pleaded guilty to their charges and live in the Dubbo local government area.