“There are areas where improvements are needed based on the recommendations of the team from the U.S. Department of Justice, but on the whole we have made substantial improvements at all the four correctional facilities,” Buckingham said.
He said that a DOJ team arrived here on Aug. 28 and stayed for a week, conducting site visits to the adult correctional facilities and the Kagman Juvenile Detention Unit on Saipan, as well as the Tinian and Rota correctional facilities.
The team was composed of senior trial attorney Laura Coon and investigator Jeff Murray, a DOJ expert on prison operations, policies and procedures
“The prior goal to the DOJ team visit was to seek closure of the consent decree in 6-12 months,” Buckingham said.
“We are hopeful we can accomplish the needed improvements quickly and the earliest that we will seek closure of the case is probably by December or January 2009,” he added.
Buckingham said prior to the visit of the DOJ team, Gov. Benigno R. Fitial ordered that certain improvements be made at the Kagman Juvenile Detention Unit including management changes, coordination between the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and the Department of Corrections,
Buckingham said physical improvements at the four facilities were noted by the DOJ team which also identified areas for improvements.
“For the next three months, CNMI will be facing the biggest challenge of achieving its objectives and reaching its goal of closing the consent decree,” Buckingham said.
Once this is done, he said, the CNMI will be responsible for its correctional facilities.
The consent decree, which governs operations for the CNMI’s correctional facilities, took effect in 1999 after the DOJ sued the commonwealth for not meeting certain standards and safety in the operation of the criminal justice system here.
