Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is calling for a change in laws to allow judges to order drug treatment for those struggling with addiction.
Poilievre is in Richmond, B.C. on Saturday expanding on his plans to tackle addiction in Canada.
His idea would give judges the option to order mandatory drug treatment as a substitute for incarceration.
The proposal would apply to offenders whose only crimes are connected to possessing small quantities of drugs and other non-violent infractions.
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Poilievre would also require rehabilitation programs in prisons for more serious offenders.
He says these proposals are appropriate in cases where those struggling with serious addiction have lost the capacity to seek recovery on their own.
More to come…
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