A former addict who spent years in jail says prison rehab programs don't work, and investing in more alcohol and drug treatment courts would help cut crime.
The specialist courts aim to treat the causes of offending and provides an alternative to jail.
They were launched as a pilot program in 2012, initially in Auckland and Waitakere and expanded to Hamilton in 2021. Despite two thirds of prisoners having drug and alchol problems, no further courts have been established.
Rayssa Almeida has the story.
