3 GRADUATE DRUG COURT

'To Stop The Revolving Door Of Addiction'

LIHU'E - Kaua'i Drug Court graduate Larissa Urynowicz proudly went from
Kaua'i Community Correctional Center to Kaua'i Community College, she said.

"Thanks to the Drug Court program I've found a new way to live," she said
at her Drug Court graduation ceremonies Friday in a courtroom where her
presence previously meant she was in trouble.

"When I was using (drugs) I was unemployable, I was a liar, and you
couldn't depend on me," she said in her prepared statement.

She had a long list of people to thank for helping her get and stay sober,
first and foremost "my dad for always being by my side."

The Kaua'i Drug Court program works to halt "the revolving door of
addiction," said Alton Amimoto, Drug Court administrator.

Earl Teves and Terrance Oliver were the other two graduates, and a fourth,
unnamed person, "did not make it," Amimoto said. "Hopefully we'll see him
graduate another day."

The graduates of the rigorous program saw their probation periods
shortened, and some had their charges dismissed, said Amimoto.

Teves, who intends to remain on O'ahu where he underwent substance-abuse
treatment, is working, and intends to stay on O'ahu, said Amimoto.

Teves thanked his Senior Probation Officer Jack Viohl, Drug Court staff and
Family Court Judge Calvin Murashige.

"I would like to thank the Drug Court program for giving me a second chance
at life," said Oliver, who also thanked Viohl.

"If Jack wasn't always hard on me I don't think I would ever make it," said
Oliver, who thanked his peers "who showed me the right path" and those
struggling because "they show me where I don't want to be and made me
appreciate where I am today."

Amimoto wanted to thank Murashige, who is retiring at year's end. "His calm
demeanor and temperament was such a good fit for the Drug Court model."

In attendance at the graduation were state Sen. Ron Kouchi,
D-Kaua'i-Ni'ihau; state Reps. Mina Morita, D-Kapa'a-Hanalei, and Roland
Sagum, D-Po'ipu-Waimea-Ni'ihau; and County Council Chair Kaipo Asing, Vice
Chair Jay Furfaro, and members Tim Bynum, Lani Kawahara and Derek Kawakami.

Former Councilman Mel Rapozo, vice president of the nonprofit volunteer
Friends of the Kaua'i Drug Court, spoke on behalf of the friends group.

The Kaua'i Drug Court opened its doors in August of 2003.

It is designed and operated based on training received by the National Drug
Court Institute.

It is a collaborative effort of the primary criminal-justice entities:
state Judiciary, state Public Defender, County of Kaua'i Office of the
Prosecuting Attorney and Kaua'i Police Department.

Other partners involved include the state Department of Health and county
Department of Liquor Control.

Since inception, the Kaua'i Drug Court has graduated 95 clients. Of these
clients, three have been re-convicted of felony drug offenses.

Some 49 clients remain active and in the program. Of these, 17 are women
and 32 are men.

Many were in the courtroom at Friday's graduation ceremonies.

Of the active clients, three are off-island in residential treatment.

An alumni group has been founded, and meets regularly to offer support and
help to existing clients, said Amimoto.

The Kaua'i Drug Court has been a state-funded operation since inception. In
addition to Amimoto and Viohl, staff includes Senior Probation Officers
Tori Ann Laranio and Jennifer Tone, Certified Substance Abuse Counselor
Araceli Gonzalez and Judicial Clerk Tammy Kakutani.

Amimoto said the Kaua'i Drug Court is unique in its supervision of clients,
using GPS tracking units and remote alcohol-use detection along with
after-hours and weekend monitoring of clients.

In addition to Rapozo, members of the Friends of the Kaua'i Drug Court
board are Dean Toyofuku, president; Clyde Nonaka, treasurer; Mary Ann
Ornellas, secretary; and Kimberly Foster and Cathy Shibuya, directors.

Recent community-service projects of the clients include cleaning
Hanama'ulu Beach Park last month, whereby through a partnership between the
county Ho'olokahi program, the Hanama'ulu community, state Department of
Land and Natural Resources Division of Conservation and Resources
Enforcement, county groundskeepers and KPD the park was cleaned and all
graffiti removed.

Regular county maintenance of the park is supplemented by Drug Court
clients and alumni, and over 30 people show up for this regular project,
said Amimoto.

The beach park at one time was one of the largest "drug-abuse havens" on
the island. "Many of our clients related personal stories about Hanama'ulu
Beach Park.

"The restorative-justice concept utilizes projects such as these to help
'balance' the wrongs that our clients have committed in the past," he said.

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Drug Court help doesn't end at client graduation

LIHU'E - The Kaua'i Drug Court not only runs a tight ship that helps
clients get and stay drug- and alcohol-free to program graduation and beyond.

Now, the innovative program also helps clients with housing until they are
able to fly on their own, the program administrator said.

The Drug Court in a partnership with Women in Need, Ke Ala Hoku, and Hope
Help and Healing, has established emergency housing for clients on the
island, said Alton Amimoto.

The housing is utilized on a temporary basis, with clients moving out once
they have established stable housing elsewhere or have become
self-supporting, he said.

Some of the houses also include substance-abuse-treatment programs, so the
Drug Court clients in the temporary housing find themselves surrounded not
only by supportive housemates and staff but also with access to programs to
help keep them on the straight and narrow.

Drug Court client levels are at an all-time high in the 7-year-old program,
and without more staff the program may have to establish a first-ever
waiting list for available slots in the prison-diversion program.

"We would hope that we could avoid a waitlist," he said.

The program has also worked to expose ex-addicts and non-addicts to
potential careers in judiciary-related occupations, said Amimoto.

"We will continue to be a teaching and education program for students,"
said Amimoto.

"We have accepted a substance-abuse-counselor student in the past. We have
had several students pursuing their substance-abuse-treatment-certification
work here at the Kaua'i Drug Court," he said.

"Of significance is that these students are Kaua'i Drug Court graduates as
well. We have offered two college students a short volunteer program, and
had hired, with federal funds, a student helper this past summer.

"We look forward to accepting other students in the future, to promote
careers in probation, probation supervision, administration,
substance-abuse counseling and other judiciary-related occupations," he said.