Court Referral & Evaluation for Drug Intervention & Treatment (CREDIT)

Where Police apprehend and charge a person with an offence and it is clear that the person ahs an immediately presenting drug problem, the Police are able to refer to the CREDIT program as part of the bail proceedings. The Police refer the offender to a Drug Clinician based at the Magistrates Court and, where appropriate and the offender agrees, he or she is diverted into a recommended treatment regime by the Magistrate as a condition of bail.

The CREDIT program is currently operating in the following courts across Victoria:

• Melbourne Magistrates Court
  
  
• Sunshine Magistrates Court
  
  
• Dandenong Magistrates Court
  
  
• Geelong Magistrates Court
  
  
• Moe Magistrates Court
  
  
• Ringwood Magistrates Court
  
  
• Frankston Magistrates Court
  
  
• Heidelberg Magistrates Court
  
  
• Broadmeadows Magistrates Court
  
  
• Bendigo Magistrates Court
  
  
• Ballarat Magistrates Court

The CREDIT program is open to all age groups and stages of drug use, and is open to first time offenders along with those with some previous criminal and/or drug use history. To be eligible for the CREDIT program, the offender must be charged with a non-violent offence, have an illicit drug problem, be released on bail, be initially bailed to a court where the CREDIT program operates and not subject to any other court order with a drug treatment component.

More information

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