The Health and Justice side event at the 68th Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), organised by UNODC Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Section (CPCJS) with the support of Kenya, Nigeria, OAS CICAD, UNODC Prevention, Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (PTRS), WHO and VNGOC discussed the critical role of collaboration between health and justice systems in addressing drug use disorders. The event focused on Treatment and Care for People with Drug Use Disorders in Contact with the Criminal Justice System – Alternatives to Conviction or Punishment (ATI), showcasing how effective treatment can improve public health, public safety, and community outcomes.
The event underscored the importance of interdisciplinary partnerships between health and justice authorities to ensure effective treatment and care for individuals with drug use disorders in contact with the criminal justice system. Speakers emphasised that non-custodial measures, such as diversion to drug treatment, not only improve health outcomes but also reduce recidivism and alleviate prison overcrowding. They are more cost effective than probation and prison, thus saving public funds. Finally, they reduce drug use and the involvement of people in trafficking, thus denying organized crime its profits and human resources.
One of the key initiatives highlighted was the experience with ATI in Kenya. Anthony Omerikwa, Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA), shared that the country has prioritised an approach to drug control, emphasising rehabilitation over punishment. Kenya has been implementing ATI with the technical support of UNODC, beginning with the establishment of a National ATI Steering Committee. The committee brings together key stakeholders from the health, justice, judiciary, police service, probation service, and civil society sectors, ensuring a coordinated and multi-sectoral approach.
Underpinning these efforts is Kenya’s National Action Plan, which has laid the groundwork for ATI implementation, with notable achievements including the launch of a demonstration programme in Mombasa, Kenya’s second-largest city. Experiences from the demonstration site were documented through data collection with regard to identifying critical service providers who can contribute to the programme’s success and the referral to treatment of people with drug use disorders in contact with the criminal justice system.
Despite these achievements, challenges remain. Funding constraints, delays in policy development, and budget cutbacks have impacted programme expansion. However, Kenya remains committed to advancing ATI programming and has called for international support in the form of funding, technical assistance, and knowledge sharing to overcome these hurdles.
Nigeria’s commitment to Treatment and Care for People with Drug Use Disorders in Contact with the Criminal Justice System - Alternatives to Conviction or Punishment (ATI) was shown through another speaker at the side event. Joseph Ike, Director General of the Kaduna State Bureau for Substance Abuse (KADBUSA), shared insights into the efforts to pave a pathway to recovery and rehabilitation with a focus on Kaduna State’s innovative approach.
Kaduna State is actively implementing ATI into its treatment and recovery systems with UNODC’s technical assistance. The programme emphasises effective interventions and multi-sectoral collaboration, involving health, judiciary, law enforcement, and social welfare. Key achievements include capacity-building trainings for health practitioners, judges, and prosecutors, as well as the development of practice guidelines to implement ATI within the criminal justice system.
As Joseph Ike noted, “The police are not required to go out in the community to identify people who use drugs and bring them for treatment. Instead, they focus on individuals who have committed minor, non-violent crimes. These are people they know – they know their parents, and they see them cycling in and out of police cells. ATI helps break this cycle.” This initiative has not only reduced the burden on the criminal justice system but also provided a pathway to recovery for people with drug use disorders in contact with the criminal justice system.
Antonio Lomba, Chief of the Institutional Strengthening Unit at the Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), Secretariat for Multidimensional Security of the Organization of the American States (OAS), highlighted the broader challenges and opportunities of ATI. In the Americas, prison overcrowding and high costs of crime continue to drain resources that could be allocated to development. Prisons often become “schools of crime,” perpetuating cycles of recidivism.
Antonio Lomba emphasised the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration between health, justice and social sectors to address the root causes of crime and support social re-integration. He noted that ATI programmes, such as drug courts and restorative justice models, have proven effective in reducing recidivism and weakening the influence of criminal organisations, thus underscoring the need for international cooperation, technical assistance, and knowledge sharing to strengthen these initiatives.
Anja Busse, Head of the Alcohol, Drugs, and Addictive Behaviours unit, highlighted the global treatment gap for drug use disorders, noting that only 1 in 11 people in need of treatment have access to it. The need for a whole-of-government approach was highlighted to reinvest savings from reduced criminal justice costs into health and social services.
Ganna Dovbakh, Representative of the Vienna NGO Committee (VNGOC), reminded about the disproportionate state spending in the criminal justice system for drug-related crimes, calling for the need to build trust between health and justice actors.
The Health and Justice side event at CND was well-attended, with more than 70 participants, and highlighted the transformative potential of ATI through experiences from Kenya, Nigeria, and the Americas, as well as insights from WHO and VNGOC. This demonstrated the effectiveness of multi-sectoral collaboration, interventions, and systemic integration. ATI not only improves health outcomes and reduces recidivism but also alleviates prison overcrowding and saves public resources.
By prioritising health, the global community can create safer, healthier, and more just societies for all.
Further reading:
Article on the ATI E-Learning Course
Brochure on the ATI E-Learning Course
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