A state task force is seeking Big Islanders’ input and concern regarding the number of Native Hawaiians incarcerated in Hawaii and on the U.S. mainland.
A state task force is seeking Big Islanders’ input and concern regarding the number of Native Hawaiians incarcerated in Hawaii and on the U.S. mainland.
The 2012 Native Hawaiian Justice Task Force is holding a series of public meetings to identify and support comprehensive solutions to the issue, which the Office of Hawaiian Affairs documented in a 2010 report titled: “The Disparate Treatment of Native Hawaiians in the Criminal Justice System.”
According to the report, which was written at the request of the 2009 state Legislature, Native Hawaiians make up 24 percent of the general population of Hawaii, however, as of 2009, the group made up 39 percent of the incarcerated population.
West Hawaii residents looking to provide input have the chance to do so Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the West Hawaii Civic Center, Building G. East Hawaii residents can provide input from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 14 at the state Department of Education Annex located at 450 Waianuenue Ave. in Hilo.
The meetings follow a two-day June summit held in Honolulu between task force members and policymakers. The task force will report its findings and recommendations on how to eliminate the apparent disparity to the state Legislature, according to OHA.
For more information, visit oha.org.