Pubdate: Mon, 05 May 2014
Source: Trinidad Express (Trinidad)
Copyright: 2014 Trinidad Express
Contact:  http://www.trinidadexpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1093
Author: Anna Ramdass

DANA ADVOCATED FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF DRUG COURT

Former independent senator Dana Seetahal had advocated for a drug 
court to be established in this country.

Seetahal served as an independent senator from 2002 to 2010. In 2007, 
she contributed to the debate on a private motion moved by former 
independent senator Ramesh Deosaran which focused on the then 
People's National Movement (PNM) Government handling of the crime situation.

She had expressed concern about the drug trade and the increased 
addiction to cocaine and heroin.

"So you know when I hear this acknowledgement of this and we have all 
this crime, look at what is happening in the world and so on; yes, 
yes, but what are we doing here? Why is there no drug court? When I 
say drug court, I am not talking about a court called, "Drug and 
firearms court" where you try people charged with drug offences," 
Seetahal had said.

"That is not what it is. A true "drug court" is a treatment court 
where persons who are users, that is under a certain amount of the 
drug, they go to that court and if they complete programmes of 
varying lengths from six months to two to three years, nothing is 
recorded against them, but they must come back to court and say what 
they are doing or they will be sent to prison," she continued.

She said a drug court was successful in the United States and she was 
able to see it for herself during her time in Minnesota under the 
Fulbright programme.

Seetahal noted there were six prisons in the country and no 
rehabilitative programme in place.

"I intended to say a lot more, but when he spoke, the whole thing 
struck me again because I have been trying to make the point over the 
last three years at least, that something has to be done about drug 
addiction in this country," said Seetahal.

She also spoke of the need for more interceptor boats in the clamping 
down of the drug trade.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom