Hawaii is in an era of oversentencing, overcrowding, and deplorable conditions in the state prisons and jails, but there is strong community support across the pae ʻāina for life-affirming and Hawaiian alternatives to the current criminal legal system. In order for our campaign goals to be possible, we advocate for increased rehabilitation resources, sentencing reforms (especially around minimum sentencing policies), decarceration plans, and long-term reentry support for paʻahao, our ʻohana and kaiaulu. We invite you to join us in creating the Hawaii we want and need.
Our 3 campaigns:
1) bring kūpuna home from prison (compassionate release, reduce minimum sentences, and other avenues),
2) implement Faith Pods with Hawaiian cultural practices inside Hawaiiʻs prisons and jails (Faith Pods based upon kapu aloha, aiming for 2024 implementation at Halawa Correctional Facility- prison), and
3) advance state cooperation and grassroots planning for a Puʻuhonua Wellness Center on Hawaii island, which will host re-entry housing, transitional housing for people in their last year of a sentence, Hawaiian cultural practices, meaningful work in invasive species eradication and regenerative land management, ʻohana engagement in healing, recidivism prevention, and more.
Join the effort to support pa’ahao and bring people home!
- Do you know anyone inside Hawaii prisons or jails who might be interested in our work? (Paʻahao interested in Hawaiian cultural practices and religion, kūpuna who are locked up, or people impacted by harsh minimum sentencing?) Please share our information and mailing address.
- Has your ʻohana been impacted by imprisonment? Contact us to learn more.
- Are you an educator, cultural practitioner or organizer? We invite your
- Want to volunteer, mobilize or offer your time and skills? Join us.
Contact us to get involved:
Mailing address: Ohana Hoʻopakele, P.O. Box 5530, Hilo, HI 96720
Email: ohanahoopakele@gmail.com Website: www.ohanahoopakele.org