In October 2006, the first official sitting of Regina Drug Treatment Court was called to order.
Regina was one of only six cities in Canada to have a Drug Treatment Court at the time.
“It is no small thing to turn a life around,” said retired Provincial Court Judge Clifford Toth, the inaugural judge of Regina Drug Treatment Court (RDTC).
In the 20 years since, the RDTC has held more than one thousand sittings and has seen more than 150 graduates successfully complete the program.
“It is not only the graduates who benefit from their recovery but their spouses, children, parents, siblings, close relatives and friends,” said Toth.
The RDTC is a collaborative partnership funded by the federal Department of Justice and the provincial Ministry of Health and Ministry of Justice and Attorney General. The Court is sustained by a team including a dedicated judge, Crown prosecutor, Legal Aid duty counsel, DTC program manager, two admin staff, three addictions counsellors, a nurse, and a probation officer.
Drug Treatment Court is a therapeutic court model that aims to address individuals whose drug additions have been contributing factors to their involvement in criminal activity. The Court is designed to assist offenders in finding sustained sobriety and address other criminogenic needs to break the cycle of involvement in the justice system.
The Court is a voluntary program, and participants begin by pleading guilty to the crimes they are accused of. Once accepted into Drug Treatment Court, participants follow 12-18 months of rigorous day-treatment including programming and counselling, judicial supervision and weekly court check-ins, ongoing drug-testing, and group support and therapy.
“Drug Treatment Court allows judges an opportunity to meaningfully engage with participants on a one-on-one basis. We get to share their successes, support them during challenges and witness a true life-changing process towards recovery,” said Provincial Court Judge Noah Evancuk.
The Regina Drug Treatment Court has 152 graduates; the most recent of whom graduated on September 8, 2026. Many of the graduates have gone on to careers in social work, health care, agriculture, construction, and trades. A 2014 RDTC graduate is now the Coordinator of the Battlefords Drug Treatment Court, and a 2018 grad is the Coordinator of the Moose Jaw Drug Treatment Court.
“The foundation of our program is Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) which is an evidence‑based cognitive‑behavioral program designed to improve moral reasoning, reduce criminal behavior and substance abuse, and lower recidivism,” said Judie Birns, Program Manager, Regina Drug Treatment Court. “In order to complete, participants must set long term goals, and I follow the progress of those after graduation at alumni meetings. They have obtained employment, reunited with family and children, got licenses and vehicles, and bought houses. There is nothing more gratifying in my job than having a graduate from a number of years ago pull up in his truck and say, ‘I completed my MRT goals, Judie – I bought a house.’”
The Regina Drug Treatment Court sits on Tuesday mornings in Courtroom #7 at Regina Provincial Court.
