Thursday, January 30, 2025 (rescheduled due to winter storm)

Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Aliʻiōlani Hale, Supreme Court
417 S King Street, Honolulu
5:30 – 7:30 p.m. (HST)

RSVP: www.jhchawaii.net/public-programs

Assessing Hawaiʻi’s Justice System: Addressing Over-Incarceration, Disparities, and Pathways Forward

(TRANSLATION: "How to release 100s of hardened criminals onto the streets.")

News Release from Hawaii Judiciary, Jan 15, 2025

The Hawaiʻi State Judiciary’s Committee on Equality and Access to the Courts (CEAC) and the King Kamehameha V Judiciary History Center are pleased to present this kickoff event for the Judiciary’s Equitable and Sustainable Futures Speaker Series.

Five public programs are scheduled from January through May 2025 to build pilina (connection and collaboration) among stakeholders across the justice system in public conversations with the goal of influencing change in law, public policy, and institutional operations.

In honor of Civil Liberties & the Constitution Day, the kickoff program is cosponsored by the Hawaii State Bar Association Civic Education Committee and the Judiciary’s Office on Equality and Access to the Courts.

Program 1 of 5-Part Series

Assessing Hawaiʻi’s Justice System: Addressing Over-Incarceration, Disparities, and Pathways Forward

The State of Hawaiʻi faces growing challenges in addressing over-incarceration due to limited funding, resources, and personnel. Hawaiʻi’s current carceral system is overburdened, characterized by disparities in treatment and accommodation, and often resorts to transferring inmates to out-of-state facilities, all of which can have long-term impacts on incarcerated individuals, their families, the justice system, and our greater community.

At Hawaiʻi’s Supreme Court, a panel of experts will assess these challenges citing data, legislation, and personal experience, shedding light on opportunities to create a more equitable legal and correctional system. The discussion will highlight the importance of working across agencies and departments to promote justice, and will include updates on new developments in law and policy, providing insights into ongoing efforts to improve the state’s justice system.

A brief reception in the Rotunda of Aliʻiōlani Hale will follow the panel discussion.

Featured Panelists

Opening Remarks: Mark E. Recktenwald, Chief Justice of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court
Moderator: Lauree Anne De Mattos, William S. Richardson School of Law, Class of ʻ25

Makalika Naholowaʻa, Executive Director, Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation
Wookie Kim, Legal Director, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaiʻi
Erin Harbinson, PhD, Director, State of Hawaiʻi Criminal Justice Research Institute
Dr. Jamee Miller, Co-Founder and President,ʻEkolu Mea Nui

Closing Remarks: Ruth Oh, Co-Chair, Hawaii State Bar Association Civic Education Committee

This programming series is a follow-up to CEAC’s Racial Equity Speaker Series that occurred virtually between January and May 2021 (access recordings here).

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Feb 20, 2025: Judiciary | Resources and Operations: Sustainable Solutions for the Future of Hawaii’s Justice System