Lack of treatment facilities

In our experience when a client with significant drug addictions has been charged, the Court wishes for them to enter a treatment program. Our experience has been that the waiting times to enter residential programs are increasing and the number of available programs sadly in decline.

Added to this, many treatment centres have chosen not to accept clients who are on conditions or have outstanding problems with the law.
Given the advent of a drug court in Ottawa it may be a task for the bar to advocate for increased funding to drug treatment centres so that treatment can be offered in a meanigful time period for our vulnerable clients.

Karine Langley, Ph.D, Director of Therapeutic Solutions, Crystal Criminal Law