Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 14, Number 2, 1 February 1997 — Approaches to keep native Hawaiians out of prison [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Approaches to keep native Hawaiians out of prison

by Kelli Meskin Programs aimed at reducing the number of native Hawaiians in Hawai'i's prisons have been threatened by the state's recent fiscal crisis. One program whieh helps former inmates find jobs has been cut by nearly 40 percent. In the January issue of Ka Wai Ola o OHA, professionals working in Hawai'i's criminal justice system were interviewed about the over-representation of native Hawaiians in Hawai'i's jails. Hawaiians are the majority in the prisons, but a minority in the state population. Alu Like's Offender/Ex-Offender Job Placement program and other prevention programs for youths and families work to solve this problem. Yet staff and workshops run by the Offender/Ex-offender Job Placement Program have been cut by 37 percent. David Kamiya, administrator for three offender programs run by Alu Like, says the quality of service has dropped. The recidivism rate of offenders who go through Alu Like's job placement program was 17 percent in 1986. That rate dropped to a low of 12 percent. "Now that we're operating on limited funding it's (the recidivism rate) going up again/' Kamiyama said. The rate is 13 percent. "To make a positive transition is difficult," Kamiyama said. "lf you're locked up for 10, 15 or 20 years, it's different when you eome out." Alu Like is looking for more support to keep the program working, but support for an offender-exof-fender program is not a popular way for agencies and the state to spend money, especially when state money is tight, Kamiyama said. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) supports Alu Like's Multi-Service System whieh refers Hawaiians in need to these programs. Another Alu Like program is the Native Hawaiian Substance Abuse Prevention Project. This project was created because of the high rearrest rate among native Hawaiians due to substance abuse, Kamiyama said. The project is staffed by kūpuna in their seventies and eighties who have received nahonal awards for their work. Two kūpuna work full time on O'ahu and in Hilo, and one part time kupima works on Moloka'i. The most recent project aimed at reducing native Hawaiian incarceration is Alu Like's Family Lōkahi Project for families and children of those who are arrested or rearrested for substance abuse. Kamiyama says the aim is to break the cycle. "We're looking at prevention," said Bill Ornellas, chairman of the Consortium on Native Hawaiians in the Criminal Justice System. The consortium, with the participation of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and other agencies, created an action plan to lessen the number of native Hawaiians in the Criminal Justice System. The first objective of the Action Plan is to make ho'oponopono, or traditional counseling, available to families in family court or those seeking counseling. "Ho'oponopono is primarily to get people eom-

ing out of prison back in the mainstream," Ornellas said. Another objective is to inform the chief justice attorney, the attorney general, chief prosecutors, chief public defenders and the paroling authority director about issues surrounding native Hawaiians in the Criminal Justice System. "Some of it (the process of change) does include institutional mentality changes," Ornellas said. The plan calls for expanding programs already in existence whieh would support Hawaiian youths, expand the number of youth service centers; and utilize eanoe clubs, hula hālau, the Merimed Foundation, and Bishop Museum. Juveniles who've assaulted someone in school or who have a minor record are put in a six-week anger management program. Jerry Reardon, Director of the John Howard Association, a non-profit organization whieh has provided assistance to

people coming out of incarceration for nearly 40 years, says the juvenile program is very successful, and that minor intervention ean do wonders. "The mentality is 'loek em up'; rehabilitation is on the back burner," Reardon said. The John Howard Association has other programs that help parolees and ex-offend-ers with clothing, housing , employment and food. Reardon says that some exoffenders leave prison bigger than when they went in, so their clothes don't fit

them anymore.

The John Howard Association also runs the state's Sex Offender Program whieh is required for all sex offenders in order to get parole. The association also offers a residential program, Hui Ola, for boys coming out of HYCF. Inside the state prison system education programs are available so prisoners ean receive a GED and vocational training in food service, graphic arts and computer education. Courses such as yoga, chant, meditation, tai ehi and anger management help the spirit, says Maureen Tito, the education program manager for the Department of Public Safety.

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