Program Goals/Eligibility
The Guam Adult Drug Court (GADC) is a drug court diversion program that has three main goals: to help participants become clean and sober, improve their lives, and reduce their involvement with the criminal justice system. The program focuses on getting participants into treatment as soon as possible after arrest.
To be eligible for the GADC program, a defendant must be at least 18 years of age; be a legal resident of the United States; have a means of transportation to get to the drug court program, treatment services, and other program activities; and show a measure of motivation for change. Eligible drug charges include felony possession and use of a controlled substance and felony driving under the influence. Defendants must demonstrate a drug use problem, and there can be no evidence of substantial drug dealing. Defendants cannot have a prior felony conviction or a pending felony charge of a violent and/or sex crime.
Most cases are referred by the attorney general and public defender immediately after the arrest, but potential participants can also be referred from the judge or the Department of Probation. Participants are admitted to GADC after they are screened for eligibility and suitability. Once admitted, participants are administered a clinical assessment to determine the extent of chemical dependency as well as mental status, which help to determine what services are necessary for treatment.
Program Theory
The GADC relies on the drug court model (see the National Association of Drug Court Professionals [1997] for the 10 key components of drug courts). In addition, the treatment providers rely on a treatment model that is adopted from a social cognitive–behavioral approach and a strengths-based multiagency approach, which can ensure participants’ compliance with program requirements. The materials and information used with participants during the therapeutic process are culturally sensitive to Guam’s multicultural background.
Program Components
The GADC is a deferred-plea program, which means that upon successfully completing the program, eligible charges are dismissed and the participant’s record is expunged. The program can be completed in 12 months (including 6 months of aftercare) but participants have up to 2 years to complete the program.
The GADC has four phases, each with corresponding treatment and probation requirements. The time spent in each phase depends on how quickly a participant can fulfill the requirements. Program requirements include attendance at weekly self-help groups, meetings with the case managers, attendance at family and individual counseling sessions, payment of fees, completion of community service hours, submission to random urinalyses each week, and participation in weekly or monthly drug court hearings. Other services provided by the program (though not required by participants) include employment skills training, education assistance, grief counseling, and family therapy. Participants also receive referrals for food stamps, welfare services, homeless shelters, mental health services, medical and dental services, anger management, and parenting classes.
Different criteria must be met to move from phase to phase. For example, to move from phase 1 to phase 2, a participant must have 5 clean drug tests, attend 20 group sessions, and spend at least 4 weeks in treatment. To move from phase 3 to the final phase, a participant must have 10 clean drug tests, attend 30 group sessions, and spend 10 weeks in treatment. The final phase includes aftercare and transition services that usually begin after completing 27 weeks of treatment and continues in intensity up until 36 weeks of treatment. After that, maintenance care is practiced at 6, 12, and 18 months following graduation from the program.
Key Personnel
The GADC team includes the judge, the drug court program coordinator, two case managers, a probation officer, treatment providers, the court psychologist, and representatives from the public defender and attorney general offices.
