Victoria’s Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes officially opened Shepparton’s Drug Court on Friday, June 10, which helps offenders get their lives on track and break the cycle of reoffending.
The program sees eligible offenders placed on an intensive drug and alcohol treatment order with holistic treatment and wrap-around support to address underlying factors of crime.
Shepparton’s Drug Court has the capacity for up to 35 people each year and includes drug and alcohol counselling, regular drug testing and court review hearings and case management.
Jesse had been using drugs for more than a decade and had been in and out of jail when he found himself in Melbourne’s drug court in 2016, which he said changed every element of his life.
Now he’s helping others in the community after completing his studies to work in a peer support role.
“For a long time I’d just accepted that this is who I am; I use drugs and I offend and all my friends do this, but given the opportunity to do drug court I can’t say enough, it did change everything for me,” he said.
If he hadn’t gone through the drug court, Jesse said he would’ve served his time in jail and been in the same place when he got out.
“I facilitate a group within drug court and some people who come through there have used it as a ‘get out of jail free card’ and I tell you what, it’s much, much harder than jail,” he said.
“You actually have to allow yourself to be vulnerable and honest and do a lot of work on yourself which can be really difficult.”
The existing drug courts in Dandenong and Melbourne have resulted in a 70 per cent reduction in prison time for participants on a drug and alcohol order.
It has also seen a drop in unemployment and reoffending for graduates during the first year after completing the program.
The Shepparton court has been operating since early in 2022 and was the second to open in regional Victoria behind Ballarat.
Ms Symes said supporting people to turn their life around meant the community was safer in the long run.
“Having a dedicated court that responds to offending but also treats the person in a holistic way is a great asset for a country town like Shepparton,” she said.
“It might be easier sometimes for people to take a three-month jail sentence, but those people are more likely to reoffend and end up back in a cycle of crime,” she said.
“Whereas someone on this program is being treated for the issues that led to them offending in the first place.”
To be placed on an order offenders must plead guilty and want to recover from drug and alcohol dependency.
The drug court’s office space in Wyndham St, Shepparton, has rooms for counselling, drug screens, family reunification, therapeutic programs and classes such as cooking, yoga and group recovery.
The program has an Aboriginal liaison officer and ties in with local community services to keep people connected to the support they need.