A group that works with marginalised young men has said that the Portuguese model of not criminalising people for possessing drugs would have a “positive impact”, especially for those trying to overcome their addiction.
Churchfield Community Trust in Cork City told the Oireachtas Justice Committee that a lot of the time the young men they work with — many ex-offenders — “need treatment rather than another sentence”.
The Oireachtas Justice Committee is currently conducting an examination of the Portuguese model following a three-day visit to Lisbon last month to see first-hand how it operated.
During a presentation to the committee, Churchfield project director Eileen O’Brien said addiction was the “common denominator” among the 18-30-year-olds they worked with.
Source: Cormac O'Keeffe, Irish Examiner, 16/07/15
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