DRUG COURT FUNDING IN JEOPARDY

The Superior Court of Guam's adult and juvenile drug courts could be
shut down if federal funding for them ceases.

Dan Tydingco, Judiciary of Guam policy and planning administrator,
said President Bush's fiscal 2009 budget proposal eliminates
drug-court funding for Guam and dozens of U.S. jurisdictions.

Since 2003, Guam's Adult Drug Court and Juvenile Drug Court have
helped hundreds of drug offenders become clean and sober through a
system that holds them accountable for their actions, while reducing
their relapse rate and their involvement with the courts, Pacific
Daily News files state.

According to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals,
the average rate of relapse for people who complete the drug court
program is between 4 and 29 percent.

"Less than 2 percent of graduates and 5 percent of participants had
new court cases," Tydingco said. "Those stats show they repeat drug
offenses four times less than a person that didn't participate or
graduate from the program."

But it's not just helping drug offenders from repeating drug-related
crimes -- the program also saves the government money.

By going through the drug court program, offenders aren't
incarcerated, which means tax money is not expended on housing and
feeding program participants.

Tydingco said the Juvenile Drug Court spends about $11 a day for
each youth in the program. He said to keep that same youth confined
at the Department of Youth Affairs would cost more than $100 per day.

This is not the first time that the island's two drug courts have
faced budgetary problems.

Bush's fiscal 2008 budget consolidated funding for all U.S. drug
courts, and it then became a competitive process for jurisdictions
to obtain funding. This was different from years past when each
locale was given a fixed amount -- Guam received $1 million:
$500,000 each for the adult and juvenile courts.

"The only alternative would be to secure greater local funding, or
try and figure out new funding sources," Tydingco said.

If the court were to discontinue its services, the drug cases would
be handled in the same manner as any other case, Tydingco added.

"Adults and juveniles, who would otherwise be eligible, would have
to face costly or more expensive forms of punishment that aren't as
rehabilitative," Tydingco said.

Tydingco said the Judiciary is hoping that Congress doesn't pass the
budget without making some sort of appropriation.

"(Supreme Court of Guam) Chief Justice (Robert) Torres has written
to our congresswoman to get funding restored for those programs,"
Tydingco said.

Guam Delegate Madeleine Bordallo has joined 31 of her colleagues in
sending a letter to U.S. Congressmen Alan Mollohan and Rodney
Frelinghuysen, the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the
Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies.

In the letter, members of Congress are requesting that $40 million
in funding be restored to the drug court programs, adding they were
imperative in turning around the lives of those addicted to drugs.

"If the Discretionary Grant Program is not funded, the National
Association of Drug Court Professionals estimates that more than
160,000 individuals will not receive drug court treatment and the
progress made against the rising tide of methamphetamine abuse and
addiction will face a staggering halt," the letter states. "Drug
courts are often the first and only alternative to incarceration
that most drug users have to become healthy and productive members
of society."

Local support

If the push from Congress doesn't yield the needed funding, one
senator said he'd find the funding locally before letting the
program shut down.

Sen. Benjamin J. Cruz said the drug courts are important, especially
when looking toward the future.

"I think that we as a community have an obligation to assist in that
effort because we don't want to lose another generation to drugs," Cruz said.

The senator said he hopes the federal funding will come through, but
noted that the Judiciary still has time to adjust its fiscal 2009
budget plans in case it doesn't.

"Hopefully, we can get it through a federal grant, but if not we as
a community are going to have to find it somewhere else," Cruz said.