By Colton Swiderski

La Ronge prosecutor calls for implementation of 24-7 program

Oct 4, 2016 | 12:00 PM

A La Ronge prosecutor is calling on his colleagues and the government to implement the 24-7 program which sees immediate consequences to people convicted of crimes related to alcohol use.

The program, launched in South Dakota, is one idea which may work to combat the high number of alcohol-related crimes in northern Saskatchewan according to prosecutor Harold Johnson.

Jonson explained the program is a judicial order which requires those convicted of alcohol-related crimes to visit a police detachment twice a day for a breathalyzer test.

“The program is extremely successful because it’s immediate detection and immediate consequences. People don’t breach; there’s a breach rate of less than one per cent for both failing to appear and failing the test,” Johnson said.

A study performed by the RAND Institute further endorsed the program by claiming it reduced the death rate in South Dakota. Results from the study said the number of deaths associated with alcohol were dramatically down and heart attacks were down by four per cent.

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Currently, there are no plans of implementing the program in Saskatchewan or Canada but Johnson is working on a written argument while trying to convince his fellow prosecutors and defence council that this is a good way to go.

While the program may offer a new way to handle alcohol-related crimes, Johnson said there are obstacles to overcome before it could happen.

“There’s a Supreme Court decision that says we can’t take samples from people,” Johnson explained. “And we have a rule in our law that says you can’t automatically go to jail, you have to have the opportunity to have a trial.”

And while there are obstacles, the implementation could be immediate according to Johnson. According to him, all it needs is the people and will to be done as there are ways of abiding by the Supreme Court’s decision.

“The biggest benefit of the program isn’t that lawyers won’t have to deal with so many breaches, the big benefit of the program is we’re going to say lives,” Johnson said.

Johnson was born and raised in northern Saskatchewan to a Cree mother and Swedish father. He received his master’s degree at Harvard University.

For the first few years of his career, Johnson worked as in-house council for a major trade union before moving back home to start a private practice. He started working for the Crown in 2008.

Colton Swiderski is meadowlakeNOW’s municipal affairs, crime and court, health and education reporter. He can be reached at cswiderski@jpbg.ca or tweet him @coltonswiderski.