Adult Drug Court

The first Drug Court in Australia opened in Parramatta in February 1999.

The Drug Court aims to help adult offenders, who have serious drug problems, break the drug-crime cycle by providing a highly supervised and intensive program of treatment and rehabilitation involving the health sector and criminal justice system.

Entry into the program is only possible if offenders are not charged with violent or sexual assault offences, are motivated to engage in treatment and have potential for rehabilitation.

The Drug Court team develops an individual program for each participant that lasts 12 months or more. A case manager monitors each participant and reports progress to the court. Legal sanctions are applied where the offender fails to meet program requirements or breaches program conditions.

At the completion of the program, offenders receive a final sentence from the Drug Court that takes into account their original sentence and their progress in the Drug Court program.