Drugs
8. Rehabilitation Schemes
Firm / Chambers:
Last updated: 21 Jul 2015
- Most states and territories have police intervention or treatment programs that divert minor and first time offenders away from the criminal justice system in an attempt to rehabilitate them.
- These intervention schemes involve specialist drug courts and drug assessment panels that have been established to deal with less serious drug cases in which offenders have an admitted drug problem.
- Lawyers can convince police in an appropriate case to refer your charges to a specialist court or panel in your state or territory.
- Offenders who go through a diversion program do not have a conviction recorded.
- Police drug diversion programs are different in every state and territory so if you are charged with a drug offence you should first ask your lawyer to confirm your eligibility for any intervention program in your state or territory.
- Matters which affect your eligibility for a specialist court or assessment include
- the weight of pure drug you are charged with possessing;
- whether it is a commercial or traffickable quantity; and
- whether police found evidence that you intended to sell it.
- If the quantity of pure drug your charge relates to is small and if you do not have an extensive prior history of drug offence convictions you may apply to have your case transferred to a specialist drug court and avoid a criminal conviction.
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