LIHU‘E — Clients and staff of the Kaua‘i Drug Court recently took part in a community service project that benefited the National Tropical Botanical Gardens South Shore Visitor Center. “The group assisted the NTBG gardeners by cutting guinea grass, haole
LIHU‘E — Clients and staff of the Kaua‘i Drug Court recently took part in a community service project that benefited the National Tropical Botanical Gardens South Shore Visitor Center.
“The group assisted the NTBG gardeners by cutting guinea grass, haole koa and helped prune the naupaka hedge at the South Shore Visitor Center,” said Joseph Savino, Kaua‘i Drug Court administrator.
This was the first of three community service projects the Kaua‘i Drug Court has planned for this year, he said.
Savino said the projects are made possible through grants from Kaua‘i United Way.
Eligible drug-addicted persons may be sent to drug court in lieu of traditional justice system case processing, states the National Association of Drug Courts website.
During treatment, participants are provided with intensive treatment and other services they require to get and stay clean and sober. They are held accountable by the Drug Court judge for meeting their obligations to the court, society, themselves and their families, and they are regularly and randomly tested for drug use. In additon, they are required to appear in court frequently so the judge may review their progress, and rewarded for doing well or sanctioned when they do not live up to their obligations.
Visit www.courts.state.hi.us or contact the Kaua‘i Drug Court, Fifth Judicial Circuit at 3970 Ka‘ana Street, Suite 300 in Lihu‘e. People may also call 482-2363 for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.