BARBADOS’ Drug Treatment Court is saving the state $30 000 annually.
Chief Justice Sir Marston Gibson made the revelation while speaking in the Supreme Court No. 1 on Monday during the ceremony to mark the start of the legal year.
The Drug Treatment Court, which was launched in February but only got under way later in the year after a few setbacks, offers an alternative to incarceration.
“The 15 persons who are not in the system, since they are not being tried or convicted of drug abuse, are therefore . . . not costing the state $30 000 a year to house at HMP Dodds,” said Sir Marston.
He added that at the last committee meeting in July, it was reported that there were 15 candidates who attended the drug treatment programme – ten who are testing negative every month while the others are showing reduced usage.
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