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A 12-week court program in NSW has been shown to reduce the likelihood of offenders experiencing alcohol and drug-related issues reoffending, aiding in transforming lives and promoting pathways to recovery.
A recent study on NSW’s Magistrates Early Referral into Treatment (MERIT) program has demonstrated that this diversion initiative significantly impacts reoffending and incarceration rates among defendants with substance use issues.
Research published in the International Journal of Drug Policy indicated that individuals who participated in the voluntary 12-week court program in NSW local courts were 21 per cent less likely to reoffend within 12 months than those who didn’t participate.
The study also revealed that participants in the MERIT program were 27 per cent less likely to receive a prison sentence.
Additionally, it found that those involved in the court program experienced a 33 per cent reduction in the risk of “death from any cause”. However, the report also indicates that these participants demonstrate increased healthcare use rates, including a higher frequency of “ambulance callouts and hospital or ED admissions”.
Professor Donald Weatherburn, the lead author of the study from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, suggested that this could be the case because exposure to AOD treatment could serve as a “launchpad for further engagement with health services”.
“This would explain the paradoxical result of increased healthcare utilisation, yet fewer deaths. Participation in MERIT overcomes a range of potential barriers or resistance to accessing treatment for AOD use and other physical and mental health needs,” Weatherburn said.
“Once engaged in treatment, their fear of stigma and additional health services may be reduced, and they might also be encouraged by service providers and peers to seek further help”.
Since its inception in 2000, the MERIT program has been implemented in 75 out of the 137 local courts throughout the state.
This initiative provides defendants who have a treatable AOD problem and meet eligibility criteria for bail with access to treatment options, including “counselling, residential rehabilitation and withdrawal management”.
Weatherburn stressed that the study demonstrates that the MERIT program “is effective in reducing the short-term risk of reoffending, imprisonment, and death in offenders who have issues with alcohol and other drug use”.
NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley expressed his strong support for the initiative, stating: “Programs like MERIT are important to alleviate pressure on the criminal justice system by breaking the cycle of substance abuse and reoffending.”
“Offenders who participate in drug and alcohol treatment under MERIT are less likely to end up in jail or back before the courts.”
The Attorney-General also confirmed that the NSW government will “continue to invest in prevention and diversion” to decrease reoffending rates within the state and enhance community safety.
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Grace Robbie
