Las Vegas Municipal Court To Celebrate Double WIN Court Graduation Thursday

Specialty Court Focuses On Female Offenders Impacted by Trauma

The WIN Court will celebrate the graduation of Annalesha Ruttan, 24, and Ashley Tyquiengco, 31, who have successfully completed the Las Vegas Municipal Court Women in Need of Change (WIN) Court program. The graduation ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 11, at Las Vegas City Hall Council Chambers, and available to watch live at kclv.tv/live and via livestream.

The 48^th WIN Court graduate, Ruttan, and 49^th WIN Court graduate, Tyquiengco, both have criminal histories that include arrests and citations spanning several years. They have faced past trauma, grief and life obstacles and embraced recovery, accomplished the rigorous mandated program requirements and worked hard to build new lives. Ruttan and Tyquiengco are living independently, working full time as a receptionist for a veterinary office and behavioral specialist working with autism, respectfully. Ruttan has reunited with her family. Tyquiengco has reconnected with her family and is raising her daughter. Both women have built a solid recovery-support community.

Graduation is the celebration of the journey of women who imagined the life they want and have worked very hard to achieve, if not surpass, their initial goals. The strength and determination of the women is an inspiration to women in recovery and to the women who are following in their footsteps through the WIN Court program. Both graduates have been reaching out to provide a helping hand and encouragement to those following them in the program.

Women In Need of Change (WIN) Court is a trauma-responsive treatment court program in the Las Vegas Municipal Court that targets female offenders with a history of criminal behavior, misdemeanor and/or substance abuse-related charges by targeting the root of the issue — trauma. Through WIN Court, women learn the tools to change their way of thinking to make positive choices and create their future. All participants have 180 days of jail time suspended for a minimum of 18 months, which is cleared upon successful completion of the program.

The women who participate must comply with rigorous sentencing requirements throughout the program, requiring the participants to complete drug treatment and intensive counseling programs, earn a GED or pursue education/training and secure employment. The defendants must stay out of trouble and abstain from drugs and alcohol during the program. The Court celebrated its first graduate in August 2008.

WIN Court currently is funded by an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grant, and a grant from the Nevada Administrative Office of the Courts.