B.C. addiction, legal experts warn lack of support for offenders is a setup for failure

B.C. experts in law, addiction and mental health said a lack of social support for chronic, repeat offenders is a setup for failure.

Mohammed Majidpour was seen leaving a Vancouver jail on Wednesday. One of his release conditions is to attend the Downtown Community Court Mental Health Program and participate in treatment but only if he consents.

Less than 24 hours later, the violent, repeat offender was seen back on the street with drug paraphernalia in hand.

“It’s really sad that we haven’t done anything to change this man’s circumstances,” said Guy Felicella with BC Centre on Substance Use.

Felicella said people are “100 per cent” being set up for failure.

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Majidpour, who has more than 30 convictions, including assault and assault with a weapon, spent months in custody before he was sentenced to one day in jail with credit for time served for a random attack on an Asian student last year.

Felicella, who formerly had an addiction and is now a peer advisor, said incarceration is not about rehabilitation, and should not be considered as such.

“We’re not meeting the need by incarcerating people, and then we’re not meeting the need when we let them out,” he said.

“Then they pick up using substances and then it’s the reoffending, rinse, repeat, parole violations, incarcerations … so we’re not actually changing anything.”

Coast Mental Health CEO Keir Macdonald said statistics show 75 per cent of those in jail are suffering from mental illness and/or substance use disorders.

“We know people have these challenges that need support and we are not providing them with that support. Can we expect a different outcome? I mean, it’s incredibly frustrating that we’re not doing more,” Macdonald told Global News.

B.C. criminal lawyer Chris Johnson said a start for Vancouver could be addressing the lack of proper detox facilities.

“(These facilities) are terrible, they’re old, they’re understaffed. People don’t want to go there,” he said.

“We need to spend more money on rehab. Not just people setting up a house and making money from people’s welfare but actual experts that can help these people.”

Felicella, who’s been in these shoes and knows how hard it is to break free of the cycle, encourages Majidpour to try and get treatment.

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