By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Twenty years of the Dandenong Drug Court “success story” were celebrated on 23 August.
In that time, the court has been found to break the cycle of reoffending for many of the near 1700 offenders across four venues in Victoria.
About 35 per cent of them completed the intensive two-year program, known as a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Order (DATO).
At the 20-year birthday were judicial officers, staff, elders and politicians at Dandenong Drug Court.
Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan outlined the court’s history from when it started as a three-year pilot in Dandenong in May 2002.
Its approach gave a “life changing opportunity” to offenders whose crimes were fed by their substance addiction.
The success stems from a ‘carrot-and-stick’ model that tackles the underlying causes of offending such as homelessness, mental illness and trauma.
It involves a multi-disciplinary team who deliver frequent drug testing, counselling, stable housing and pathways to employment and education.
Past graduates became mentors and even employees of the program, Justice Hannan said.
“It’s an incredible achievement and shows what can be achieved when people are committed to change and given the right supports to enable that change to happen.”
Drug Court supervising magistrate Suzie Cameron said the program was “not easy – in fact it’s extremely difficult”.
Many participants who have served time inside say that prison is the easier option, she said.
The “daunting exercise” requires commitment to change, being vulnerable and confronting issues that led to their substance abuse.
“Day after day they front up and rise to that challenge,” Ms Cameron said.
In her work Ms Cameron meets a lot of sadness. But the program was “fuelled by hope”.
She nominated her role on Drug Court as her career highlight.
“Every day sitting in Drug Court I’m in awe of what people can achieve.”
A graduate at Dandenong, who sat in the dock and received a Drug and Alcohol Treatment Order three years ago, was now Ms Cameron’s “colleague” and staffer on the court.
Another graduate Chloe told the gathering she had been “deep in addiction” and in and out of jail before starting the program in 2020.
“Do you know what you’re signing up for?” magistrate Gerard Bryant told her at the outset.
For the first 16 months, she didn’t do well and narrowly avoided having her DATO cancelled. Along the way, she was punished with 14 days in custody.
But she managed to get off the needles and heroin, jumped through many hurdles and made the choice to detox.
Now she studies Year 10 at TAFE, with a view to studying a Certificate IV in Community Services.
“I want to help someone that has been in my shoes. I want to give hope to those who have lost hope.
“And strive to be the best person I can be.”
Parliamentary secretary to the Attorney-General, Enver Erdogan, and Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti were also among the attendees.
