Drug treatment court opens

By Oluatoyin Alleyne On In Guyana News |
Acting Chancellor Yonette Cummings-Edwards, NANA Director Michael Atherly, Attorney-General Basil Williams, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and acting Chief Justice Roxane George stand in front of the Drug Treatment Court with the magistrates who have been trained for the administration of the new court.
Acting Chancellor Yonette Cummings-Edwards, NANA Director Michael Atherly, Attorney-General Basil Williams, Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan and acting Chief Justice Roxane George stand in front of the Drug Treatment Court with the magistrates who have been trained for the administration of the new court.

Guyana yesterday opened its first Drug Treatment Court (DTC), which acting Chancellor Yonette Cummings-Edwards said could serve as a vehicle to lead persons who are grappling with substance abuse disorders away from the prisons to a place of recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration into society.

Long in the making, the court is located in the refurbished courtroom on the ground floor of the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts compound. The refurbishment was done to the tune of just under $1 million.

Six magistrates have undergone intensive drug rehabilitation training in the United States with funding from Guyana’s international partners, such as the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD).