Drugs a large part of crime, judge says

Around 80 to 90 per cent of crime is related to alcohol and drug misuse, according to one of New Zealand's top judges.

Chief District Court Judge Jane-Marie Doogue described alcohol abuse as "a thick vein coursing through our country" at the launch of a pilot alcohol and drug treatment court in Auckland yesterday.

"When misuse and abuse takes an extreme form, it becomes dependency," Judge Doogue said.

"Offenders are then locked into a cycle of substance abuse and criminal offending which they cannot break out of by willpower alone."

The programme will start next week at both Auckland and Waitakere District Courts and will be trialled for five years as part of Minister of Justice Judith Collins' self-imposed target of reducing crime by 15 per cent by 2017.

Other goals include reducing violent crime by 20 per cent, youth crime by five per cent and re-offending by 25 per cent by addressing the underlying triggers.

Courts dealing with the underlying effects of crime are already in place at the Rangitahi Court, Porirua Community Court, the Pasifika Youth Courts and the Christchurch Youth Drug Court.

If the pilot is successful it may be implemented in district courts nationwide.

The addiction court will deal with about 100 defendants a year who have committed crimes due to addiction. To be eligible, they must plead guilty to the crime they are charged with, face a term of imprisonment of less than three years and have a severe dependency.

They will then undergo strict supervision, receive intensive treatment, 24-hour monitoring and undergo regular random drug and alcohol testing.

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Drugs a large part of crime, judge says