Celebrating the 70th Oahu Drug Court Graduation
Posted on Nov 29, 2019 in Featured News, News & Reports
Front row, left: Drug Court Social Service Assistant Felicia Waialae, Drug Court Probation Officer Ana Ochoa, Drug Court Counselor Christopher Conley, Drug Court Counselor Elizabeth Everett, Public Defender Jamie Nakano, and Drug Court Supervisor Lei Kumagai. Back row, left: Judge Matthew J. Viola, Judge Edward H. Kubo, Jr., Prosecutor Tana Kekina-Cabaniero, Veteran’s Treatment Court Supervisor Jason Dupont, and Drug Court Social Service Assistant Jason Custino.
The Oahu Drug Court’s November 18, 2019 event was a momentous occasion. Not only was it the 70th graduation ceremony, but also a passing-of-the-torch moment, as Judge Edward H. Kubo, Jr. formally turned over care of the Oahu Drug Court program to its new presiding judge, Matthew J. Viola.
Friends and family members of the 17 graduates were there to recognize their hard work and achievements. Community supporters, representatives from the Honolulu Police Department, the City and County of Honolulu Prosecutor’s Office, as well as judges, Judiciary personnel, and others also showed their support by attending the event in the Hawaii Supreme Court courtroom.
The Oahu Drug Court is designed to address substance abuse-related crime, minimize the societal costs of those crimes, and protect the community. It provides intensive probation and judicial supervision, outpatient substance abuse treatment, and an array of support services to holistically address the issues that contributed to a person’s involvement in the court system.
From 2018 to 2019, 137 clients participated in the two-year program and 33 graduated. Since the program’s start in 1996, the Oahu Drug Court has had 993 graduates.
For more about the program, contact the First Circuit Court Adult Client Services Branch at (808) 539-4500.