FY 2023 Guam Adult Reentry Court Enhancement

The Judiciary of Guam – Superior Court of Guam proposes to enhance its existing Guam Adult Reentry Court Program (GARC) under the FY 2023 Guam Adult Reentry Court Enhancement proposal. The proposal will be implemented in collaboration with the state correctional entity - Department of Corrections (DOC) and single state agency for mental health and substance abuse treatment services – Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center.

Under the proposed GARC Enhancement, services will be initiated for participants in DOC and continue in the island community, upon release from incarceration. The target population is inmates to be released from DOC. Annually, 20 participants will be served for a total of 80 served over the life of the project. GARC will prioritize those with substance use disorders and moderate- to high-risk risk for recidivism. Criminal Sexual Conduct offenses are not allowed. The program is available to men and women over 18 years old meeting legal and clinical eligibility requirements and who agree to participate.

GARC participants are selected from DOC’s population whose recidivism rate, calculated in 2020, is 66%. The DOC recidivism definition is the percent of sentenced inmates who have a prior misdemeanor or felony conviction.

The Texas Christian University Drug Screen 5 Form is used to screen for substance use disorders. The Ohio Risk Assessment System tools are used to assess for criminogenic risk. The American Society of Addiction Medicine assessment is used to determine level of substance use treatment care by treatment providers – GBHWC, Lighthouse Recovery Center, and WestCare. Pre- and post-release substance use treatment services include individual treatment sessions and group sessions using evidence-based curriculum, such as the Matrix Model, Moral Reconation Therapy, or Helping Men Recover. Recovery support services post-release include peer recovery support services, transitional housing, education and vocational opportunities, social support, transportation, transition support services, and family support services.

An agreement with the University of Guam Regional Center for Public Policy will continue to guide the development and implementation of the evaluation and monitoring plan, provide recommendations regarding data collection, assist with grant reporting requirements and develop a final evaluation report. Evaluation services will determine fidelity to this proposal and help guide corrective actions needed to meet the stated goal and objectives. Evaluation services will encompass both process and outcome components.

This proposal supports the processes of the current GARC and provides enhancements that address gaps in treatment services and transition support to further improve participant outcomes.