Majority of teens incarcerated for drug-related offences – OAS

The continuous abuse of illicit drugs among teenagers and their involvement in other crimes have resulted in many being charged and placed before a court of law to have a suitable punishment imposed on them. This has, however, resulted in some juveniles being reprimanded, fined or performing community service while others face imprisonment.

Some 70 per cent of youths in today’s society believe that it is okay to smoke or drink, while over 500 of them are within the country’s prisons or correctional institutions. But while this is the case, a majority of this number faces incarceration for committing drug-related offences. This was according to the Organisation of the American States (OAS) representative, Jean Dormeus, who was speaking at the launch of the drug treatment court training earlier this week.
“More than three and a half million people are imprisoned in the western hemisphere, and one-third of them for drug-related offences. Included in this particular situation is juveniles and women. Further, most of the drug-related offenders are in the chain’s weakest links with small world in a broad world of narcotics. Some of them are also [under] the influence of substances when they committed offences,” he said
The OAS spokesperson further expounded that it has been the duty of the member states within the OAS to take a different approach to deal with drug-related cases especially when teenagers are the offenders. This, according to Dormeus, will allow them to rehabilitate and give them a second chance in society.
“The OAS member states recognise in the hemispheric drug strategy of 2010 the importance to address the drug problem in the Americas. In this regard, the purpose to strengthen and improve strategies and actions to reverse the trend and give the victims of drug abuse a second chance so that they can make their contributions to improving society.” Dormeus noted.
Recently launched agencies such as the Life Reform, are making efforts to address the issues of substance abuse affecting youths across the country. This will be complemented by Guyana’s first Drug Treatment Court which is set to commence operation later this year and is expected to aid in the rehabilitation process.
President David Granger, who had also recently disclosed the high numbers of youth incarceration and unemployment, has since noted that these figures can only be reduced through education, empowerment, equality, and employment. “We acknowledged the rate of youth incarceration – with more than 500 young people within our prisons and correctional institutions. These rates must be reduced and if possible, eliminated,” the President posited.