Pamela Spurvey says drug treatment court is one of the reasons she's alive today. She spoke during Thursday's announcement of a new drug treatment court for Red Deer (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By rdnewsNOW staff

crime fighting investment

Drug treatment court, more investigators announced for Red Deer

Jun 11, 2020 | 10:37 AM

Red Deer will have one of five drug treatment courts outside of Edmonton and Calgary as part of a four-year provincial government investment of up to $20 million toward expanding the program across the province.

The government is also providing Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams (ALERT) with a $50 million budget increase for initiatives to disrupt and dismantle organized crime. The province says a portion of this new funding will allow ALERT to expand regional organized crime units across the province, including the addition of three new investigators to the regional unit based in Red Deer.

“Our government will be opening a drug treatment court in Red Deer to reduce crime by offering treatment to those struggling with addiction to help get their lives back on track,” says Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer. “We are also ensuring law enforcement in central Alberta have the resources they need to disrupt and dismantle the organized crime groups that traffic and supply the illegal drugs that fuel addiction and take a terrible toll on our communities.”

Mayor Tara Veer says The City of Red Deer is pleased that our city has been selected for a drug treatment court.

“With the significant public safety and health issues our community and region are facing, this will help to break the systemic cycle of addiction and crime as a much-needed alternative legal mechanism, as well as alleviate backlog pressures currently facing our justice system locally. Additional capacity in the local justice system will also help support the interests of victims of crime,” Veer says.

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The province says drug treatment courts help break the cycle of crime motivated by addiction by giving people who commit non-violent offences access to judicially supervised treatment and recovery. Treatment is supplemented by frequent drug testing, incentives, sanctions and social services support.

“Rehabilitation of offenders is part of the sentencing regime courts must follow. Those people who are motivated to commit offences because of their addiction to drugs are often most in need of rehabilitation. A drug treatment court serving Red Deer and surrounding areas will assist the court in meeting this objective and we very much look forward to this addition to the court in central Alberta,” says Assistant Chief Judge James A. Hunter.

“Drug treatment court is the reason I am alive today,” said Pamela Spurvey, a 2007 graduate of the drug treatment court in Edmonton. “I was facing four years in jail for trafficking methamphetamine in Camrose and was so sick and deep into my addiction that my life was falling apart. My children and I were near death. Today, I am proud to say that I continue my life in recovery and advocate for others who struggle with addictions and mental health.”

The court in Red Deer, along with a new program in Lethbridge announced earlier this year, is expected to be operational by late 2021. Three additional sites have yet to be determined.

Schweitzer also spoke to where the drug court will be located.

“We’ll leave that to the judiciary to figure out which courtrooms will be used, but we’ll have to use existing infrastructure for the time being,” he said. “Once we get the new [Red Deer Justice] centre up and running, they’ll have to find the appropriate courtroom in the new centre.”