Criminal Justice Reform

Background

Stories pertaining to efforts to implement meaningful sentencing reform; to reduce repeat offenders, recidivism and over representation of minorities; to eliminate for-profit prisons and to remove non-violent offenders from prisons and to divert them, instead, to mental health, drug treatment and other community-based programs that have been proven to be more successful correctional tools than incarceration; and efforts to implement place-based, restorative justice methods, especially in Hawaiʻi where Hawaiian over-representation can be directly attributed, in part, to a disconnection from culture and community.

More than half of Hawai‘i’s jailed population have not been found guilty
  • News Report

And the primary reason is because most jailed people cannot afford to post bail. Read More »

Ige’s budget reflects continued reliance on outdated, ineffective and injurious policies
  • Analysis

Inside the governor's Supplemental Budget proposal are requests for money meant to crack down on the houseless and to explore private prison options Read More »

Will Caron
Still Not Free: the Meek Mill case is hardly unique
  • Discussion

The FBI is investigating the judge who sent Meek Mill back to prison for minor probation violations from almost nine years ago. Read More »

Human quarantine: The state’s regressive policy on jails
  • Opinion

Governor Ige's selection of the animal quarantine station as a preferred replacement site for OCCC is tragically revealing of the state's attitude toward criminal justice. Read More »

Kat Brady
Jailed state
  • Analysis

Three practical reasons to reduce Hawaiʻi's incarcerated population through investment in community-based restorative justice programs rather than through construction of a new, $1.3 billion prison. Read More »

Will Caron
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