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Largest class yet graduate from NMI Drug Court
Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio, left, and assistant attorney general Chester Hinds pose for a photo following the Drug Court graduation last Friday. (Kimberly A. Bautista)
The CNMI Drug Court saw its largest batch of graduates last Friday, with 13 individuals successfully leaving the program.
According to Superior Court Associate Judge Teresa Kim-Tenorio, Friday’s batch was the fourth since the Drug Court program started and was the largest batch by far.
“A lot of these participants that graduated here today are part of the original group, so they fulfilled the whole 24 months. …It’s a balance between those who have been in the program for years and for those graduating early,” she said.
The program has had 22 graduates to date and about 30 are still with the program.
Drug court graduate Christopher John Eger, who has been in the program for two years, spoke for the graduating class.
He said the program was intense and completing it is a huge accomplishment for him and his wife.
“It was very hard, it was very intense but, as you go along, you start to get this sense of what you used to be without the use of drugs,” he said.
Eger’s wife, Chrysanta Noche Eger, shared that since entering the program, she has been attending classes at the Northern Marianas Trades Institute and is working on becoming a chef.
Eger is currently working for G4S, a security company.
Kim-Tenorio hopes the program graduates will serve as counselors or peer support for those still in the program or those who will be entering the program.
“Years from now, I hope we have more licensed counselors…more psychiatrists, and that I would also see that some of our graduates from the drug court will be those people. The social workers, the counselors, the peer leaders, the peer support and that’s good because they have a unique view that I don’t have because they are in recovery. They can relate with the participants…so…it’ll be more dynamic and much more improved,” she said.
