Legal Commentary

Report: No Justice in Paradise

By Jeralyn

A new report by the Justice Policy Institute shows a lack of equal justice for Native Hawaiians:

In the first-ever investigation of the impact of the justice system on Native Hawaiians, researchers from the Justice Policy Institute, Georgetown University and the University of Hawai’i found that even when the criminal charges are the same, Native Hawaiians are sent to prison more often and for longer periods of time than most other racial or ethnic groups in Hawai‘i. Native Hawaiians are also more likely to have their parole revoked and be returned to prison compared to other racial or ethnic groups.

It's not just the offenders who suffer: [More...]

In addition to the empirical analysis using official statistics, personal reflections from Native Hawaiians included throughout the report make clear the painful human cost of incarceration, not only to those incarcerated, but also their families and communities. Many incarcerated Native Hawaiians are held in mainland prisons far from home, cut off from family, community, systems of care and their culture. This practice contributes to a cycle of involvement in the criminal justice system that can span generations.

Native Hawaiians have also suffered cultural trauma associated with colonization and social marginalization similar to that experienced by indigenous people in the continental U.S. With cultural trauma shown to be associated with substance use, the incarceration of Native Hawaiians for drug-related charges becomes especially tragic, and the need for appropriate drug treatment outside the criminal justice system even more urgent.

The report is available here.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 15, 2010 (boomark / email).