Tuesday would have marked the first day of Manchester’s new drug court, which gives drug-crime offenders struggling with addiction a chance to get treatment instead of incarceration. But, according to the Union Leader, the opening has been delayed one week, due to a lack of participants.
In June of last year, the city’s commissioners denied funding for the program.
Now, with the help of state funding made available earlier this year – Manchester’s drug court is soon to be up and running. Chief of police Nick Willard says this is good news.
"When the drug becomes more powerful than your love for your own children, that’s a disease, so incarceration should be your absolute last resort."
Although Hillsborough County has had a drug court in Nashua for years now, that program was not available to offenders in Manchester.
An earlier version of this story said the drug court had opened on time.