Pubdate: Wed, 20 May 2009 Source: Honolulu Advertiser (HI) Copyright: 2009 The Honolulu Advertiser Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/uXtrz8Lm Website: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/195 Author: Pamela Varma Brown Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) OFFERING HOPE THROUGH KAUAI DRUG COURT Helping Addicts Lead Clean And Sober Lives As administrator for the Kaua'i Drug Court, Alton Amimoto knows it is difficult for some people to change their habits, but having helped 71 former drug addicts graduate to clean and sober lives since the court's inception in 2003, more than 97 percent of whom have remained free of legal entanglements, he knows it can be done. But modifying long-standing behaviors can be challenging, Amimoto said, drawing comparisons to situations more people are familiar with: trying to lose weight or stop smoking. "If you look at it from a normal point of view, someone says, 'You're overweight, you should lose 10 pounds.' But you say, 'I've tried but I can't. It's so hard,' " he said. That's why it's so important for an individual to make a commitment to creating a different type of life for him or herself, Amimoto said. "People have to want to change," he said, and even then it's a long road. "It's very difficult to get them to become clean in a year or so," because often they have been addicted for 20 or 30 years, he said. "Generally it takes over a year to just regain some sense of normalcy in terms of emotions," because some drugs can burn out a body's ability to produce endorphins, he said. That's where the Kaua'i Drug Court program, an alternative to conventional probation, has helped. Through rigorous and intensive drug testing, supervision and case management, Amimoto and his staff are providing hope. "We call it cognitive restructuring, where we get them to change their thinking patterns and behaviors," Amimoto said. "We help them identify the triggers that cause them to use, and we help them work toward maintaining a system where they can keep clean, like to call somebody instead of turning to drugs." Kaua'i Drug Court alumni take part in the program by offering social events for active clients. "A lot of the clients only run in circles of people who do drugs," Amimoto said. "The alumni try to provide beach get-togethers, parties and things to do for the clients, creating a new positive social support system." Amimoto is also a member of the board of directors of the Friends of the Kaua'i Drug Court, a non-profit organization that provides additional support for clients who want to re-pattern their lives. The Friends group funds incentives such as movie theater tickets for clients who reach certain milestones; the cost of graduation ceremonies for those who complete the program; supplies for public service work such as graffiti removal and beach clean-ups that clients perform as the "restorative justice" part of their sentences; and for ongoing training for the staff for which the state currently provides no funds, Amimoto said. Some of The Friends' funding is provided through the Visitor Industry Charity Walk, an annual walkathon that took place last weekend. "All the monies that we get from the Charity Walk go to incentives and supplies for community service projects for the clients going through the program," Amimoto said. Though his work can feel daunting, Amimoto says it has its moments. "It can be rewarding," he said. "Sometimes the graduates invite me and the staff to their baby luaus and family parties." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom