SASKATOON – A new mental health docket is being introduced at Saskatoon Provincial Court as part of a strategy aimed at improving support for adults with mental disorders and cognitive impairments in the criminal justice system.
The strategy was sparked by discussion that took place during an educational event spearheaded by the court last November.
Judges were among the 400 participants who met in communities across the province to learn more about challenges faced by people with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
A three phase strategy came out of those discussions.
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The first phase will have a new docket run on the first and third Monday of the month.
This will allow for timely assessments to be conducted and will include consideration of individual mental health needs, monitoring of support and supervision plans and collection of data.
“When judges either know or suspect that a person has a mental disorder, there is always a concern about fairness, especially with respect to crafting a just and effective sentence,” said Judge Sheila Whelan.
“The emphasis of this project is support and supervision. We expect that it will help us to identify more appropriate supports, as well as to ensure effective supervision.”
The data will be then be used for the second and third phases to determine the next steps.
That might include therapeutic approaches similar to those used in the domestic violence and drug treatment courts.
Referral to the mental health docket will be determined by a judge and participation will be voluntary.
People charged with serious offences such as murder and manslaughter would not qualify for the docket.
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