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CNMI treatment courts delegation attend NADCP Rise 21 conference
A CNMI Drug Court and Mental Health Court Delegation recently attended the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Rise 21 Conference in National Harbor, Maryland that concluded last week.
The conference, which lasted from Aug. 15 to Aug. 18, is an opportunity for the CNMI to participate in sessions on critical topics, convene with colleagues from across the globe, and earn valuable continuing education for those spearheading the Drug Court and Mental Health Court.
The group included representatives from the Office of the Attorney General, Public Defender’s Office, Department of Corrections, Department of Public Safety and the CNMI Judiciary.
According to Chester Hinds, Office of the Attorney General’s criminal division acting chief prosecutor, it is crucial for the CNMI’s treatment courts be on top of current treatment methods and approaches and legal and constitutional issues that may arise in treatment courts to better serve the CNMI. This is why the CNMI Drug Court team attends the conference regularly, he said.
“Treatment courts must use evidence-based, best practices and methods, otherwise the program will fail to properly treat the participants. This is why the CNMI Drug Court team attends the conference regularly,” he said.
Hinds, who has attended the conference four times, said the conference brings together treatment court teams, judges, case workers, managers, officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, counselors, etc., for an educational experience dealing with addiction and mental health.
“The NADCP conference is always well run. Each day there are a number of classes that inform people in attendance about the best practices for treatment courts. Classes like these make sure that treatment courts are on right path,” he said.
