Judiciary of Guam Awarded $350,000 Veterans Court Grant

(October 1, 2014 Guam Judicial Center - Hagta) The Judiciary of Guam has been
awarded a $350,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs,
Bureau of Justice Assistance for the implementation of a Veterans Treatment Court.
Many veterans suffer from a variety of disorders including traumatic brain injury, post-
traumatic stress disorder, and alcohol and/or substance abuse. The goal of the Veterans
Treatment Court is to divert veterans who intercept the justice system from prison and into
this therapeutic court where they can receive proper treatment and services.
Guam has the highest number of veterans per capita in the United States. According to the
2010 U.S. Census, the number of individuals in Guam who have past active military duty
serve is 8,041. However, the Guam Veterans Affairs Office asserts that number is vastly
underreported with the actual number of veterans ranging from 14,000 to 16,000. This
accounts for 9% to 10% of Guam's population of 159,358.
Under the leadership of Chief Justice Robert J. Torres, former Chief Justice F. Philip
Carbullido, and Presiding Judge Alberto C. Lamorena III, the Judiciary began working with
both local and federal stakeholders to develop the Veterans Treatment Court.
A committee was established in July of 2013 to oversee the development of the program.
The stakeholders include the Guam VA Benefits Office, VA Guam Community Based
Outpatient Clinic, VA Guam Vet Center, Guam Veterans Affairs Office, Guam Behavioral
Health and Wellness Center, Guam Police Department, Guam Office of the Attorney
General, Public Defender Services Corporation, and the Alternate Public Defender.
This project is supported by Grant No. 2014-VV-BX-0017 awarded by the Bureau of Justice
Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's
Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National
Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for
Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the
U.S. Department of Justice.
For more information, contact Joshua F. Tenorio, Acting Administrator of the Courts, at
(671) 475-3544 or jtenorio@guamcourts.org.
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