This is a drug treatment court (DTC) model that was established in Chile in 2004 to reduce drug-related crime through an alternative that emphasizes substance use treatment and community supervision of offenders. The main role of the courts is to redirect offenders toward rehabilitation under judicial supervision to facilitate the stages of change and encourage adherence to treatment.
After a first pilot in Valparaíso, the DTC Program was institutionalized as public policy in Chile in 2011, with the Ministry of Justice as the driving force and with the support of institutions such as the National Service for the Prevention and Rehabilitation of Drug and Alcohol Consumption, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Public Criminal Defender’s Office, and the Judiciary.