Participants in a programme to help drug-addicted offenders get clean were praised for their progress at a ceremony on Monday. Premier Ewart Brown and Culture and Social Rehabilitation Minister Neletha Butterfield heard about the success of the 12 offenders in getting their lives back on track at the event held in Supreme Court One.

Nine of the Drug Treatment Court (DTC) programme's participants are progressing to a different phase of the scheme, while three are entering the final phase, which requires them to be substance-free for a year.

Ms Butterfield told them: "It is an honour to congratulate those of you who have worked hard to achieve continued success and sobriety as you transition to another phase in life.

"I acknowledge the support given to you by your families, the community and the Drug Treatment Court programme team.

"We all recognise the devastating effect of drug abuse. Recovery from drug use is a rocky road and commitment to staying drug free can be a real challenge.

"What may have begun as experimentation can slide into habitual use and the subsequent dilemmas related to offending demonstrate an intrinsic link between crime and drugs."

The DTC programme was launched nine years ago, since which the rate of reoffending among participants has remained below five percent and is currently at 1.08 percent.

More than 80 people have been helped by the scheme, which allows substance-abusing offenders to get treatment and support and potentially have their original conviction removed from their criminal record.

Magistrate Juan Wolffe said on Monday: "We in DTC strictly adhere to the philosophy that no matter the sin, that no matter the wrongs that have been committed, and that no matter the hurt that has been inflicted, no individual should be denied the opportunity to travel the road of redemption.

"It is the mandate of DTC to stop the roller-coaster of criminality by drilling to the causal root of criminal behaviour, where in a significant number of cases one will find drug abuse."

The Premier and Ms Butterfield were presented with portraits of themselves drawn by one of the programme participants at the ceremony.