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NMI drug court now accepting referrals, participants
Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio, third from left, poses with CNMI drug court staff and partners after a drug court hearing on Feb. 2, 2017. Others in photo are, from left, Corrections Commissioner Georgia Cabrera, Community Guidance Center’s Ed Camacho, Northern Marianas College intern Alvin Tagabuel, assistant public defender Cindy Nesbit, drug court case worker Jaclyn T. Mendiola, drug court manager TaAnn Kabua, assistant attorney general Chester Hinds, Superior Court law clerk Jackie Nicolas, and Superior Court deputy clerk Kristy Diaz. Not in photo are Department of Public Safety representatives lieutenant Paul Ogumoro and officer Fred Sato. (Contributed Photo)
In December 2016, the Superior Court’s Drug Court Division began accepting referrals and participants into its program.
The drug court was founded on the premise that many addicts are arrested for behavior related to their addictions and engages participants in a model and structure that is supportive of success in recovery.
The CNMI Judiciary and the drug court team have worked tirelessly to create a program that incorporates drug dependency treatment with continuous judicial supervision.
The drug court team is composed of the judge, manager, caseworkers, and representatives of the Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Public Defender, Department of Public Safety, Department of Corrections, and designated treatment providers such as the Commonwealth Healthcare Corp.’s Community Guidance Center. The mission of the drug court is to address substance use and drug-related criminal activity with a multidisciplinary approach that integrates evidence-based and culturally sensitive treatment services.
The drug court’s progress was made possible by the support of community leaders and stakeholders. The drug court team acknowledges and thanks Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, the Legislature, and contributing agencies for their support of drug court and those impacted by substance use addiction.
If you or your agency is interested in learning more about the drug court or being a community resource, contact drug court manager TaAnn T. Kabua at tkabua.dcp@gmail.com. (PR)
