A proposed bill to establish a corrections compact
between the Commonwelath of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI)
and Guam is gaining momentum.
Officials are
emphasising that the agreement would primarily ease
overcrowding in Guam’s strained correctional facilities,
while strengthening regional ties between the two island
territories.
They say it will also help the CNMI – not
only its Department of Corrections (DOC) –
financially.
Senator Manny Gregory Castro said Senate
Bill 24-24 currently is in committee and a public hearing to
get the community’s sentiments on the measure will be
scheduled soon.
“My bill is a compact. Which allows
for resource sharing, it’s not exclusively about housing
Guam inmates at DOC,” he also clarified.
At a Senate
hearing last March, DOC commissioner Anthony Torres said SB
24-24 offers a solution for Guam, whose corrections
department is currently operating well beyond its intended
capacity.
“Guam is looking at transferring inmates as
far away as Arizona, which is a 14-hour flight
away.
“Instead, we are only 30 minutes away-and we
have the space. Those long flights and then less
coordination could be avoided.
“We have the
opportunity to step in and offer them the help they so
desperately need only 30 minutes away. Now, I want to
reassure you that we will do this responsibly.”
Under
the compact, non-violent, voluntary inmates from Guam could
be housed at the CNMI’s DOC facilities, which currently have
hundreds of unused beds.
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The plan would relieve
pressure on Guam’s overcrowded jails without compromising
the safety of the CNMI, Torres said.
Strict screening
would ensure that only exemplary, low-risk inmates are
eligible for transfer, and the CNMI would retain full
discretion to refuse any individuals who do not meet
established standards.
“Currently, our Department of
Corrections has empty beds.
“This may seem like a
small detail, but it represents a significant resource that
we can tap into. Many facilities across the region and
across the nation are grappling with overcrowding”
By
partnering with the CNMI, Guam would save significant
transportation and operational costs compared to shipping
inmates to distant mainland facilities.
Additionally,
keeping inmates closer to their families would help support
rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.
“This is
about providing a responsible, regional solution that
benefits Guam first and foremost,” Torres said. “It’s better
for the inmates, better for their families, and better for
public safety.”
Corrections Capt. Marvin Seman, a
veteran correctional officer with nearly 20 years of
service, also highlighted the regional benefits.
“Guam
desperately needs relief,” Seman said. “This compact would
provide them a closer, safer option instead of sending their
people thousands of miles away.”
While the compact
would bring much-needed revenue to the CNMI’s DOC to fund
officer salaries, training programs, and facility upgrades,
speakers at the hearing stressed that Guam’s immediate need
for housing relief is the driving force behind the
proposal.
Businessman and former police and
Corrections commissioner Clyde Norita praised the plan,
noting that Guam’s overcrowding problem is already
urgent.
“They’re overcapacity, it’s a fact,” Norita
said. “We have the resources and proximity to help
them.”
Victoria Deleon Guerrero, a DOC employee who
initially had reservations about the idea, also voiced
support after learning more.
“This isn’t about
bringing problems here,” she said. “It’s about being good
neighbors and providing real solutions for a problem that’s
hurting both our islands.”
Ultimately, Torres said
the DOC has a lot to gain if Castro’s bill is passed by the
CNMI Legislature and signed into law.
He said the
revenue generated from this compact “is a
lifeline”.
“By leveraging and utilising our excess
capacity, we can generate revenue that will help us enhance
our rehabilitation programs, creating successful paths for
inmates to reintegrate into society.
“But beyond that,
this revenue will also allow us to invest and take care of
the very people who make our system function smoothly and
care for inmates.
“Our dedicated correctional staff,
the men and women of the Northern Mariana Islands DOC, all
of them behind me, we’re here in support.
“These
dedicated individuals who work under demanding conditions,
facing challenges, most of you in here and out in the
community can hardly imagine.”
Torres said CNMI
taxpayers provide vital resources for rehabilitation and
invest in the people who keep our system running, which
ultimately benefits our CNMI residents.
“Together,
let’s seize this opportunity to not just transform our
correctional facilities, but to uplift our entire
community.
“Let us be the leaders who make a lasting
impact, who can champion both rehabilitation and respect for
those who serve us.”
If passed, the CNMI-Guam
corrections compact would allow the CNMI to assist Guam,
while also improving its own corrections system through
added
resources.
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