The Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) is working with police to help divert illicit drug charges and keep early offenders out of the criminal justice system.
On Thursday the Saskatoon Police Board of Commissioners received a report detailing how STC has developed a course for offenders to complete in person with the goal of having charges withdrawn.
“We’re all human, we all make mistakes, but how do we learn from those mistakes? If you have proper support you’ll have a better understanding of how it’s going to affect your life moving forward,” Arcand told CTV News.
In addition to helping prevent repeat offenders, the program also looks to help ease the pressure on the court system for drug offences.
Part of the program, involving a seven to eight-hour course a couple of times a week, educates people on how a drug charge can impact a person’s life long term.
“With criminal charges like drug charges, you may not be able to cross the border, it may limit you from another job, things like that. It may affect your goals and your aspirations,” Arcand said.
Arcand says peer pressure and negative influences can often draw people into making the wrong decisions. He says when STC works with people, they see that the individuals want to change and become better.
“At the end of the day when you’re having tough and troubling times, people seem to drown their troubles into addictions whether its alcohol or drugs. I think we’ve got to change that mentality,” Arcand said.
Prairie Harm Reduction executive director Kayla DeMong says any move that aims to support people dealing with substance abuse in a non-judicial way is a move in the right direction.
“It’s definitely a waste of both federal and provincial dollars going towards incarcerating somebody who doesn’t necessarily need to be because they have substances on them for personal use,” DeMong told CTV News.
DeMong says more conversations are happening around the country regarding diverting drug charges, but a downfall is not including people who are involved with substances or have had similar experiences.
Distributing fines when a person doesn't have financial stability can often linger when it involves court dates and other expenses, DeMong says.
“Financially punishing a population that already doesn’t have the financial means to pay for food and rent, I don’t think is an effective way of addressing any issue.”
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