CNMI Department of Corrections Photo: RNZ Pacific / Mark Rabago
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.
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.
