What's it going to take to fix the longstanding problems at the Guam Department of Corrections? Students at the University of Guam came together in hopes to develop some solutions specifically to the overcrowding issue plaguing the prison. 

Leaders in Guam’s law enforcement were called to the UOG.

This after the Public Finance and Fiscal Policy class have been investigating the problems at the Department of Corrections prison.

"A lot of data development, a lot of interviews from everyone that has anything to do with corrections to the inmates," explained Dr. Judith Guthertz, the course's instructor.

A former senator, Dr. Guthertz added, "The students for this class, there are about eight students, chose to focus of DOC. They decided that because the department seems to be neglected and it’s time for the leaders to really help out DOC. We haven’t seen the help that they really need to solve this issue once and for all. Overcrowding is a manifestation of the problems but there are other issues as well."

Attendees at the presentation included the director of DOC and the chief of police.

Dr. Guthertz noting the problems persists for both the inmates and the employees.

They shared concern that if something isn’t done fast that the feds could very well step in and take back control.

"It’s only five years later and look at where we are now. What happened and why can’t we seem to solve this problem?" she said of the challenges.

An inhumane situation she says island leaders need to address.

"They have to find the money. That’s the responsibility of these leaders. They have to find the money. They can’t let people live the way they are living at DOC…the potential danger – what if there is a riot – we are going to have a serious problem," she said.

Class chair Julie Ann Laxamana says the research included speaking with attorneys and looking into past lawsuits filed against the prison.

"So as we did our research, of course it boils down to the longstanding issue of it being overcrowded," she told KUAM News.

"If you consider the population for Guam and you consider the bigger population in America, the ones that we looked into was a local main state facility because their overcrowding is also around 900 but keep in mind that is also a little county jail…But for Guam – to have an overcrowding of over 900 and to still have this issue years later – it’s kind of concerning."

Among the recommendations: relocate some of the detainee population.

"A recommendation was to relocate them into the Department of Youth Affairs, move DYA because they have like 20 people to one of the schools available and temporarily convert that to DYA to help alleviate the congestion at DOC," said Guthertz.

Ultimately, the class is aware DOC is trying to build a new facility, but also knows that process could take decades to finally complete.