KAILUA-KONA — On Monday, the Big Island Drug Court building was more a reunion of long-lost family members than a graduation of probationers.
There was a crowd outside, one spilling out of the jury box and filling out where the defense and prosecution normally sit. The program works to rehabilitate people with addiction issues in the criminal justice system and Monday’s graduation marked another successful journey.
“They’ve lost everything. Their lives, their parents, their children,” said Ann Datta, deputy public defender, who represented four of the graduates.
But going through the program gives all that back, she said.
For the day, the five graduates were sitting where they had returned for their regular appearances in front of the judge. The program focuses on intensive supervision, including at least two drug tests a week at the start.
For Cassandra Ellis, that included 93 drug tests, all of which came back clean.
“She was well on the way to prison,” said Datta.
While already on probation, Ellis was rearrested on more offenses after a burglary. But Ellis managed to refocus on her children, who were being raised by family members. She said the turnaround was difficult, where even her father seemed to lose hope.
“One time my dad told me I was going to be a statistic, winding up dead or in prison,” she told the crowd.
His analysis proved to be wrong. He told the crowd, “thank you for giving my daughter back.”
The idea that the program had given people back their lives was repeated by family members and friends of each graduate, each of whom used therapy, work and court-ordered limits to move through the program. To prevent triggers to a relapse, they have to provide the court with a list of every place they’ve used drugs and who they’ve used drugs with. Interacting with either could lead to jail, electronic monitoring or another penalty.
That was one of the difficulties for Taura Gaspar, who was sanctioned twice for contacting users.
“She’s got the longest no-contact list I’ve ever seen. It’s got to be half of Kona,” said Mark Disher, deputy prosecuting attorney.
She had lost custody of her three sons as a result.
“I’m grateful I have my kids back in my life. When they got taken away from me it scared me to death,” she said.
Part of her development has included successfully taking custody of the boys, despite her husband hiring an attorney.
Another major turnaround belonged to Alicia Brunette.
In her initial interview, “She came in (my office) and she was so high she couldn’t even stay in her seat,” said Penny Cho, probation officer.
“Alicia was on everyone’s no-contact list,” said Datta.
She had given birth to two children while addicted and became pregnant with a third while in the program. Additionally, Brunette’s partner never knew her sober.
That was true for Brunette, Gaspar and Ellis. All three were on each other’s no-contact lists initially, but built a friendship while they were clean. Gaspar said she’s learned a lot about motherhood from the other two. Their time in the program has also led to them to reconnect with their children.
“Remember the true test is the test of time,” Judge Melvin Fujino said.
The program has a recidivism rate of 8 percent, which is how many people are convicted of felonies within three years. This is against a 31.5 percent rate of probationers in other programs in 2015, according to state figures.
The Kona program currently has 68 participants, out of a capacity of 70, the same for the Hilo-side program.
“Our prisons are full of addicts and they aren’t getting treatment they need,” Datta said.
