Topics of Interest
Drink driving
Alcohol and other drug treatment courts
Background
Originally from Wales, Gerald Waters has become one of New Zealand's leading advocates for alternative measures for responding to drug and alcohol related offending.
After the loss of his friend Katherine to a drunk driver in 2010, Gerald committed himself to learning about road safety, including working alongside Police at drink-drive checkpoints. His efforts towards the establishment of drug courts have since resulted in $2 million funding towards a pilot in the Auckland region. Mr Waters is an adviser to the drug courts project and the interlocks working group. He also continues to challenge the government in several areas, including preventative detention as a sentencing option for recidivist drink-drivers, and mandatory drug tests for prisoners on community-based sentences.
His work in this area has also resulted in an invitation to present at the Alcohol Interlock Symposium in California in 2011, where he was presented with the inaugural Barry Sweedler Award. In giving Mr Waters the award, the Traffic Injury Research Foundation praised his "unwavering drive for knowledge on and understanding of the issue of impaired driving, promotion of evidence-based solutions such as alcohol interlocks, and his pursuit of change in the justice system".