NSW Drug Court transforms lives with intelligent case management

The Business Issue

When you're in the business of transforming lives, every process matters. The Drug Court of New South Wales – a specialist court operating across Parramatta, Sydney, Hunter, and Dubbo – supervises intensive community-based rehabilitation for drug-dependent offenders who might otherwise face full-time imprisonment. Working alongside the Compulsory Drug Treatment Correctional Centre and Justice Health NSW, they deliver comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation services that break the cycle of addiction and crime.

But here's the challenge: You can't deliver life-changing outcomes with life-draining technology. For over 20 years, the Drug Court had been wrestling with a legacy database system that was as inflexible as it was outdated. The aging system couldn’t integrate with modern justice and health platforms, adapt to evolving program requirements, or keep pace with the Court's mission to empower lasting behavioral change and promote successful rehabilitation.

The stakes? In a world where every case represents a life that can be transformed, operational inefficiencies don't just slow down processes – they can derail someone's path to recovery.

The Solution

In July 2024, the NSW Drug Court embarked on a digital transformation journey that would revolutionize how they deliver justice and support rehabilitation. The organization selected Pega as its technology of choice to modernize operations. Pega’s unified platform offered the intelligence and automation needed to connect siloed systems, improve data reliability, and streamline end-to-end workflows. This decision was driven by the need for a scalable, adaptive solution that could simplify complexity, enhance decision-making, and deliver lasting operational efficiency.

Built on the Pega Government Platform™, TRACE – the Therapeutic Rehabilitation and Case Ecosystem – represent a complete system modernization, designed specifically for the complex, multi-disciplinary world of drug court operations. More than just case management, it's a comprehensive ecosystem that follows participants through every phase of their rehabilitation journey.

The magic happens in the integration. TRACE seamlessly connects with JusticeLink for core justice system data, HealthLink for automated urinalysis report processing, NSW Point for address validation, and Microsoft Exchange for automated correspondence. It's like having a digital nervous system that connects every aspect of the rehabilitation process, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

What makes TRACE truly powerful is its ability to manage the entire dynamic justice journey end to end - from referral through custody, rehabilitation programs, and graduation to community reintegration, supporting pathways to employment and financial responsibility. Its sophisticated user access management enables both internal staff and external stakeholders to collaborate seamlessly, while maintaining the high levels of security and confidentiality that justice operations demand.

After 12 months of development, TRACE officially went live in late June 2025, marking the completion of a transformation that would reshape how the Drug Court operates.

The Results

TRACE has delivered far more than just a system upgrade – it's unleashed a new level of operational excellence that directly supports the Court's life-changing mission:

• Operational excellence that matters: By automating administrative processes and improving data integration, TRACE allows judicial officers and support staff to focus on what truly matters: supporting participants in their recovery and successful reintegration into the community. When technology works seamlessly in the background, human expertise can shine in the foreground.
• Holistic participant support: The system's ability to track urinalysis results, manage treatment plans, coordinate with health services, and provide comprehensive views of participant progress directly supports the Court's mission to promote successful rehabilitation. Every data point tells part of a person's story, and TRACE ensures that story is complete and accessible when decisions need to be made.
• Multi-disciplinary collaboration made simple: Automated correspondence and sophisticated workflow management support the Drug Court's multi-disciplinary model of service delivery, ensuring that everyone involved in a participant's journey – from judicial officers to health professionals – has the information they need when they need it.
• Change management excellence: At the heart of the digital transformation program lies a strong focus on change management, enabling the shift toward modern processes and new ways of working. While adoption challenges are natural in any transformation, TRACE has been embraced from day one across all levels of the organization and demonstrates tangible business outcomes.
• Future-ready foundation: TRACE isn't just solving today's challenges – it's built to evolve. As the Drug Court grows and adapts to new rehabilitation approaches and regulatory requirements, TRACE is ready to grow with it. It's more than a database; it's a comprehensive, future-ready platform that supports every phase of the Drug Court program.