| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Name | Office Race | If applicable, what district or county are you running in? | Are you committed to investing in solutions that address the root causes of poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse? | Do you support bail reform? Why or why not? | What are your views on prison and jail expansion in Hawaiʻi? | The State of Hawaiʻi incarcerates around 1000 men in Saguaro Correctional Center in Arizona, far from their communities and support systems. Are you committed to bringing them home? | Do you support the decriminalization of certain non-violent offenses as a strategy to contribute to decarceration and the diversion of resources to preventative economic programs? | What are your priorities for reducing rates of incarceration? |
2 | Jonelle Fukushima | City Council | Hawaii - District 2 | Yes | Yes. I support bail reform because our current system doesn’t actually make us safer, it just keeps low‑risk people in jail if they are poor, while those with money can buy their way out. Smart bail reform lets judges focus on who is truly a safety or flight risk, not who can afford bail, and uses tools like risk assessments, supervision, and court reminders so people return to court without filling our jails unnecessarily. That approach improves public safety by keeping resources focused on high‑risk cases, reducing repeat offenses tied to job and housing loss from needless pretrial detention, and aligning our system with what the data show: there is no clear link between bail reform and higher crime. | I oppose prison and jail expansion in Hawaiʻi. Our facilities are overcrowded and in poor condition, but simply adding more beds would lock in a status quo that already fails on public safety, racial equity, and basic human dignity. Instead of pouring hundreds of millions into new cells, we should be reducing the number of people we incarcerate through bail reform, diversion, mental health and substance use treatment, housing, and strong reentry support, approaches that evidence shows are more effective at preventing crime and reducing repeat offenses. In Hilo and across Hawaiʻi Island, we see clearly how cycling people in and out of overcrowded jails feeds homelessness, strains families, and diverts scarce resources away from housing, treatment, and jobs that would actually make our communities safer in the long run. | Yes | Yes | My priorities for reducing incarceration in Hawaiʻi start with keeping our communities safe by reserving jail and prison for people who truly pose a serious risk, not those who are simply poor or struggling. That means front‑end changes like bail reform and strong pretrial services so low‑risk people aren’t held in crowded jails for minor offenses, and expanding diversion to treatment courts and community programs instead of jail for many drug, mental health, and low‑level cases. In Hilo and across Hawaiʻi Island, we see how incarceration, homelessness, and untreated behavioral health issues feed into each other, so I would invest in mental health care, substance use treatment, culturally grounded services, and stable housing as core public‑safety strategies. Finally, I would prioritize reentry support on Hawaiʻi Island, ( I have worked with Going Home Hawaii) job training, education, housing assistance, and connections to local employers and nonprofits, so when people come home they can stabilize, support their families, and are less likely to return to the system, which makes all of us safer in the long run. |
3 | Wendy Sue Botelho | City Council | Hawaii - District 2 | Yes | Yes, I am in support of bail reform. Bail reform will help with overcrowding. Public Safety needs to create more programs within the Intake Service Centers, including increase of staff and private nonprofit assistance providers | We need new prisions and jails. Our current facilities are so old, and not sufficent to handle today's society's needs. We need to look at cultural program incarceration. What we have is not working. | Yes | Yes | Rates of incarnation will change when society changes the way this population is treated and reintergrated into the community. We must incarcerate differently, to have a different rate of incarcerated. We also must have more drug treatment/education in Elementery school. This is an issue that the whole community needs to be involved to make a change/difference |
4 | Kelton chang | City Council | Hawaii - District 3 | Yes | No I would reject reform, The central question is how to balance two important goals: protecting the public and ensuring that a person's freedom before trial does not depend solely on their financial resources. Many legal experts believe reforms work best when they focus on individual risk rather than ability to pay, while maintaining strong protections for victims and community safety. | I can offer a balanced perspective. Hawaiʻi has aging and overcrowded correctional facilities, particularly the Oʻahu Community Correctional Center. State officials argue that replacing outdated facilities and expanding capacity where necessary can improve safety for staff, inmates, and the public, while providing more space for mental health treatment, education, and reentry services. At the same time, many advocates argue that simply building more jail or prison space does not address the underlying causes of crime. They recommend investing more in substance abuse treatment, mental health care, housing, education, diversion programs, and reentry support to reduce repeat offenses and incarceration over time. Hawaiʻi's own criminal justice planning documents emphasize rehabilitation and reducing recidivism alongside any facility improvements. | Yes | No | Reducing incarceration starts with addressing the root causes of crime while maintaining accountability and protecting public safety. My priorities would focus on prevention, rehabilitation, and successful reentry. First, we should expand access to mental health care and substance abuse treatment, along with education, job training, and housing support. These services help prevent crime and reduce repeat offenses. Second, I support diversion programs for nonviolent offenders when appropriate, while ensuring violent offenders are held accountable and communities stay safe. Finally, we need stronger reentry programs that help people leaving jail or prison find housing, employment, and counseling. When people have the tools to succeed, they are less likely to return to the system. Reducing incarceration is not about being soft on crime. It is about being smart on crime—preventing offenses, supporting victims, reducing repeat crime, and creating safer communities. |
5 | Cyd L. Hoffeld (Makanui) | City Council | Hawaii - District 4 | Yes | Yes. As the Health & Wellness Committee Co-chair for Going Home Hawai'i (GHH), I stand with our strong support and advocacy for bail reform to alleviate jail overcrowding. We believe in the elimination of cash bail in favor of a system based on community safety rather than wealth. As a member of GHH for over 10 years, I believe in pretrial diversion to prevent the destabilization of jobs, housing, and treatment for those who are justice involved. | I am strongly opposed to prison and jail expansion in Hawai'i. Instead, I support an investment in community-based rehabilitation, diversion, wraparound services, and the traditional Hawaiian model of a pu'uhonua that would address the underlying causes of incarceration, such as poverty, homelessness, mental health issues, and addiction. | Yes | Yes | My priorities align with the Going Home Hawai'i core vision of "Embracing our culture of E Ho'okanaka, a person of worth..." and our primary mission to break the cycle of recidivism and reduce incarceration rates by addressing the root causes of system involvement, such as poverty, homelessness, addiction, and behavioral health issues. By treating these underlying issues, we have already helped lower the state's recidivism rates from 60% down to roughly 15-20%. I am passionate about reimagining public safety in Hawai'i especially for Kanaka Maoli here and on the continent, and have been actively pursuing that vision through my active involvement with GHH and our consortium of community partners for over 10 years. |
6 | Chantel Makuaole-Perrin | City Council | Hawaii - District 5 | Yes | I support bail reform that protects the vulnerable without compromising public safety. No one should remain in jail simply because they cannot afford bail for a low-level, nonviolent offense. At the same time, I believe judges should have the authority to detain individuals accused of serious violent crimes when the facts of the case and the law support it. As the mother of a son who was murdered and the sister of a brother who was murdered, I know firsthand how deeply violent crime impacts families and communities. My experience has taught me that justice requires both compassion and accountability. We should build a system that is fair to those awaiting trial while ensuring victims, their families, and the public remain protected. To me, effective bail reform isn't about choosing between fairness and safety—it is about achieving both. | I don't believe the question is simply whether Hawaiʻi should build more prisons or send more inmates to the mainland. The real question is whether our correctional system is protecting the public, using taxpayer dollars responsibly, and preparing individuals to successfully reenter society when appropriate. I understand why Hawaiʻi has relied on mainland facilities. The cost of housing inmates is often lower because land, staffing, and operating expenses are significantly less than they are in Hawaiʻi. Fiscal responsibility matters, and we should never ignore the impact on taxpayers. At the same time, I've seen the human cost of sending Hawaiʻi inmates thousands of miles from home. Distance makes it difficult for families to maintain meaningful relationships, participate in rehabilitation, and prepare loved ones for a successful return to our communities. I support ensuring Hawaiʻi has adequate correctional capacity to safely house those who must be incarcerated, particularly individuals who pose a danger to the public. However, I don't believe expansion alone is the solution. We should continue investing in rehabilitation, mental health and substance abuse treatment, education, vocational training, and reentry programs that reduce repeat offenses and strengthen public safety. Ultimately, I support a correctional system that is smart, accountable, fiscally responsible, and focused on protecting our communities while recognizing that most incarcerated individuals will eventually return home. Our goal should not simply be to house people—it should be to reduce future crime and build safer communities for everyone. | Yes | I support carefully targeted decriminalization or diversion for certain low-level, nonviolent offenses when supported by evidence and when it does not compromise public safety or accountability. I do not support decriminalization when a minor offense is connected to serious criminal conduct or when it creates loopholes that undermine justice. Any reform should reduce recidivism, strengthen communities, and ensure serious offenses continue to be fully prosecuted. | Reducing incarceration should begin with reducing the reasons people enter the criminal justice system in the first place. My priorities are investing in our youth, expanding access to mental health and substance abuse treatment, strengthening workforce development and apprenticeship opportunities, supporting affordable housing, and helping individuals successfully reenter society after incarceration. At the same time, I believe public safety and accountability must remain non-negotiable. Serious violent offenders should be held accountable, while evidence-based prevention and rehabilitation programs can help reduce repeat offenses and strengthen our communities. To me, success isn't measured by having fewer people in jail alone—it's measured by having fewer victims, fewer crimes, and stronger, safer communities. |
7 | Shannon Matson | City Council | Hawaii - District 5 | Yes | Yes. I believe that cash bail can and should be imposed when crimes are serious, repetitive, or pose a significant risk of flight or any major danger to community. For lower-level offenses I believe other non-financial conditions can provide better results in many cases. | I would like to see us invest in more restorative justice programs and other opportunities to reduce recidivism before spending more on increasing capacity. However, if creating more opportunities to keep incarcerated folks closer to their families exist, I am in support of limited and thoughtful expansion to reduce overcrowding. | Yes | Yes | At the County level there aren't as many opportunities for prison reform as there are at the State level, but I would be open to learning more about how I can support the work your organization is doing. I strongly support increasing resources for restorative justice and efforts of organizations such as the Pu'a Foundation and Going Home Hawai'i to help reduce recidivism. |
8 | Guy Enriques | City Council | Hawaii - District 6 | Yes | As bail reform is mainly a state legislative level kuleana, however my initial take is that Judges are already required to determine bail based on the defendants ability to pay and the level of crime at hand. At face value, I would lean towards having cash bail as it tends to bring the defendants back to court and keep high risk defendants in jail. | Prisons are overcrowded so that needs to be addressed either by jail expansion or renovation of existing facilities. I am in favor of minimizing and working towards zero transfer of inmates to the mainland. | Yes | No | If I'm correct, inmates awaiting-trail constitutes a large portion, so consideration of severity of the crime for early release. |
9 | kyle jones | City Council | Hawaii - District 6 | Yes | I do support bail reform. Jailing someone before someone is even convicted just because they can't afford bail is wrong and immoral and it destroys lives. Even if you can afford bail it can be deeply stressful. We should be prioritizing other means of getting people to come back for court dates and force judges to really look at the evidence of a case and whether a person constitutes a flight risk or a public threat. | I don't support jail or prison expansions, as a general rule. I believe we need to focus our efforts treating the root causes of crime at the base level: lack of opportunity, lack of healthcare, lack of humane and affordable substance abuse treatment. However, I also don't want prisoners to be living in overcrowded or deplorable conditions. I would only ever support a publicly owned prison expansion under those terms. Private prisons have no place in Hawaii. | Yes | Yes. There are other ways to deal with low level crimes than jail. For example I'm a strong supporter of drug decrimininalization + substance outreach programs. | We need to focus our efforts treating the root causes of crime at the base level: lack of opportunity, lack of healthcare, lack of humane and affordable substance abuse treatment. Putting people in jail does not fix their problems and it doesn't lead to a more successful society. It's also very expensive to care for prisoners and I'd prefer that money be spent positively before they ever get stuck the carceral system. |
10 | Manu Powers | City Council | Hawaii - District 7 | Yes | Yes. I believe pretrial decisions pertaining to bail should be based on public safety and flight risk, not a person's financial position. Our justice system should hold dangerous individuals accountable while recognizing that people are presumed innocent until proven guilty. An evidence based system protects our communities, uses taxpayer dollars more effectively, and helps to ensure that low-risk individuals are not unnecessarily separated from their families, jobs, and livelihoods before their day in court. | I do not support prison expansion as a first response to the challenges facing our criminal justice system. I believe our focus should be on reducing crime through prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and effective reentry programs while ensuring we have the capacity to safely house individuals who pose a genuine threat to the public. The goal should be successful rehabilitation, public safety, reducing recidivism, and making better use of taxpayer resources over the long term. | Yes | Yes | Investing in evidence-based prevention, expanding access to mental health and substance use treatment, supporting diversion programs for appropriate nonviolent offenders, and strengthening education, workforce development, and reentry services that reduce recidivism are strategies we can employ to reduce incarceration. By addressing the root causes of crime while maintaining accountability and protecting public safety, we can lower incarceration rates and build safer, healthier communities. |
11 | Matt Weyer | City Council | Honolulu - District 2 | Yes | Similar to the federal system, no one should be in custody simply because of their socio-economic status. In addition, similar to the federal system, after a meaningful review of danger and flight risks, there should be opportunities to provide conditions that both keep the community safe and prevent a defendant from picking up a more serious charge, which benefits neither them nor the community. I have witnessed those on misdemeanor charges commit and be arrested on felony charges due to not having adequate supervision. We do not provide sufficient access to mental health and substance abuse treatment options; both need to be increased. Justice system policy should be based on data, with the ultimate goal of increasing public safety. This means that we must utilize policies and tools proven to reduce recidivism. | Anyone that is incarcerated should be incarcerated in Hawaii, not on the continent. Prisons in Hawaii must meet habitability standards, meaning they are safe, sanitary, and fit for human occupation. There must be access to adequate medical care. Prisons should not be privately run; private corporations have a fiduciary duty to maximize profits, which conflicts with the goals of our justice system. | Yes | Yes | (1) Increase community policing, community court, and diversion opportunities; (2) support sufficient resources for the judiciary, public defenders, and prosecutors office, so that a meaningful evaluation of how to respond to specific cases can occur, particularly an evaluation of what services are most appropriate during pretrial supervision, probation, and incarceration; (3) increase the availability of housing, mental health, and substance abuse services, both for those interfacing with the criminal justice system and the broader community; (4) increase victim services, which can prevent additional crimes by helping survivors leave unsafe situations and provide meaningful redress for harms; (5) provide meaningful intervention as a part of incarceration, including access to treatment, job training, and community connections; (6) support a social safety net that prioritizes human dignity and ensuring basic needs are recognized as a human right. |
12 | Tara Malia Gregory | City Council | Honolulu - District 4 | Yes | I believe our justice system should be fair, but it also has a responsibility to protect the public. We’ve seen too many cases where repeat offenders were released and then went on to commit new crimes. That’s why I support a risk-based approach to bail, not one based solely on a person’s ability to pay. Violent and repeat offenders who pose a clear risk to the community should not be routinely released, while low-risk, nonviolent individuals deserve fair treatment and due process. We can protect constitutional rights and prioritize public safety at the same time. | I believe public safety is one of government’s most fundamental responsibilities. We need to be tough on violent crime, hold repeat offenders accountable, and make sure our law enforcement and justice system have the resources they need to keep our communities safe. At the same time, I don’t believe the answer is to simply build more prisons without asking why we’re spending the money. Before committing taxpayers to major prison expansion, we should audit our correctional system, evaluate recidivism, improve rehabilitation for those who can be successfully reformed, and make sure existing facilities are being used effectively. If the data show we genuinely need additional secure capacity to protect the public, I would support making that investment. But I won’t support spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars without accountability or measurable outcomes. My approach is simple: be tough on violent crime, smart with taxpayer dollars, and focused on reducing repeat offenses so fewer people become victims in the first place. | I support bringing Hawaiʻi inmates home when it can be done safely, responsibly, and in a fiscally accountable manner. Keeping individuals closer to their families and support systems can improve rehabilitation and reduce recidivism. However, we must first ensure Hawaiʻi has adequate, secure capacity to protect the public and that taxpayers receive full transparency on the costs, outcomes, and long-term plan. My priority is both public safety and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. | I support carefully evaluating non-violent offenses on a case-by-case basis, but I do not support broad decriminalization that compromises accountability or public safety. Diversion programs, treatment, and job training can be effective for appropriate offenders, but violent crimes, repeat offenders, and offenses that harm our communities should continue to be prosecuted. Any reforms should be evidence-based, fiscally responsible, and focused on reducing recidivism while protecting the public. | My solutions are accountability, prevention, and rehabilitation that actually works. We need to hold violent and repeat offenders accountable, but reduce incarceration by stopping the cycle before it repeats. That means mental health and addiction treatment, job training, education, mentorship, stronger family support, and reentry programs tied to measurable outcomes. I also support targeted diversion for appropriate non-violent offenders, but not blanket decriminalization. The goal should be fewer victims, fewer repeat offenders, and better use of taxpayer dollars. |
13 | Tyler Dos Santos-Tam | City Council | Honolulu - District 6 | Yes | Generally, I think judges should have broad discretion to set bail depending on the circumstances of the arrestee, their risk to the public, etc. While I'm not an attorney nor am I at the State Legislature, my counterparts at the State Capitol can certainly work toward a balance of increasing opportunities for lower risk arrestees to secure release, properly evaluating the standard amounts, and looking for non-cash alternatives. | Our existing prison facilities across the islands are woefully inadequate for our current needs and must be renovated for the safety and comfort of prisoners and staff; as such, some degree and amount of new facilities must be created - and given the current population of prisoners, we have to provide for some sort of expansion of facilities. Given our decades-long practice of sending prisoners away, some degree of expansion here will help to bring these prisoners home from Arizona. As a final note, I should mention that I am against the privatization of prisons and believe that it must be operated by the State rather than a private operator so we can exercise meaningful oversight. | Yes | Yes | As the City Councilmember for areas like Chinatown and Iwilei, I see very visibly the nexus between mental health, homelessness, drug use, and involvement in the criminal justice system out on the streets each and every day. Within the purview of the City, we need to continue our work with EMS and CORE to address mental health and underlying health issues and our work with DCS and DHLM to expand transitional housing options to get people off the street and out of the cycle of violations that lead to these folks being arrested on a regular basis. |
14 | Addison Bulosan | City Council | Kauai | Yes | Yes. I support bail reform because a person should not sit in jail simply because they are poor. Pretrial detention should be based on risk, public safety, and accountability to the court — not on how much money someone or their family has. That does not mean everyone should be released without conditions. There are cases involving violence, threats, repeated harm, or serious risk to the community where detention or strict conditions may be necessary. But for nonviolent offenses, especially where the person is not a danger and is likely to return to court, we should be using supervised release, court reminders, treatment, transportation support, and other tools that actually help people comply. Jail can destabilize someone’s life very quickly. A few days in jail can mean losing a job, housing, custody, treatment, or connection to family. That can make the original problem worse. A fair system should protect the community while also recognizing that poverty should not be punished as if it is guilt. | I don’t believe Hawaiʻi should build its way out of incarceration. If we expand jail and prison capacity without changing the systems that fill those beds, we will keep filling them. I understand that some of our facilities are old, unsafe, and not built for real rehabilitation. We cannot ignore conditions for workers or incarcerated people. But replacing or repairing facilities should not become an excuse to expand mass incarceration. Any investment in facilities must be paired with serious investment in diversion, mental health care, substance use treatment, reentry, housing, workforce training, restorative justice, and community-based programs. The goal should not be more beds. The goal should be fewer people needing to be incarcerated in the first place, and better outcomes for those who are. | Yes | No | My priorities are prevention, diversion, reentry, and accountability that actually works. First, we need to invest earlier. That means supporting families, schools, youth programs, mental health care, substance use treatment, housing stability, and jobs. Incarceration is often the most expensive and least effective place to deal with problems that started much earlier. Second, we need more diversion for people whose underlying issue is addiction, mental health, houselessness, or poverty. Jail should not be our default treatment center. Third, we need bail and pretrial reform so people are not detained simply because they cannot afford to pay. Fourth, we need strong reentry support. When people come home, they need identification, housing, employment, transportation, health care, treatment, and community connection. If we release people back into the same instability with no support, we should not be surprised when they struggle. Finally, we need to measure outcomes honestly. Are people safer? Are victims supported? Are people less likely to reoffend? Are families more stable? Are taxpayer dollars producing real results? For me, reducing incarceration is not about being soft or hard on crime. It is about being honest about what actually makes our communities safer, healthier, and more whole. |
15 | Cheree A. Rapozo | City Council | Kauai | Yes | I support a bail system that protects public safety while respecting constitutional rights. Bail decisions should consider the seriousness of the offense, the individual's criminal history, the risk of failing to appear in court, and the potential danger to the community—not simply a person's ability to pay. Violent and repeat offenders who pose a significant risk should not be released simply because they can afford bail, while nonviolent individuals who are not a public safety risk should be treated fairly. Although bail policy is primarily a state responsibility, I believe accountability, victim safety, and public confidence in our justice system must remain top priorities. | Public safety must come first. Hawaiʻi needs correctional facilities that are safe and secure, but we cannot build our way out of crime. We should hold offenders accountable, protect victims, and invest in programs that help people successfully return to society and reduce repeat offenses. Success should be measured by safer communities and fewer people returning to crime. | Yes | I support diversion programs for some non-violent offenders when appropriate, but not broad decriminalization. Public safety, accountability, and victim protection should remain the priority. | Prevent crime through education, job training, mental health and substance abuse treatment, while holding offenders accountable, protecting victims, and supporting rehabilitation that helps reduce repeat offenses. |
16 | Dane Smith | City Council | Kauai | Yes | I am not familiar enough with the issue, but I do believe our incarceration system needs work. | I am not familiar enough with the issue to comment here, but I do believe we need to look find better solutions to our high rates of incarceration. | Yes | Yes | See previous question. |
17 | Fern Holland | City Council | Kauai | Yes | Yes. I support thoughtful bail reform, not blanket bail reform. Our system should protect public safety while also being fair. For serious and violent offenses, I share the concern that bail is sometimes set too low, allowing dangerous individuals back into the community. At the same time, people charged with minor, nonviolent offenses should not remain in jail simply because they cannot afford bail. Bail decisions should be based on the risk a person poses to the community and their likelihood of appearing in court, not solely on their financial resources. | I believe our goal should be to reduce the need for incarceration by investing in prevention, mental health and substance use treatment, education, housing, and rehabilitation. At the same time, Hawaiʻi has a responsibility to maintain safe, humane, and constitutional correctional facilities for those who must be incarcerated. I do not support expanding our prison population as a policy goal, but I do support ensuring that violent offenders are held accountable while giving people who can safely return to the community the opportunity to rebuild their lives and reduce recidivism. | Yes | Yes | My priority is preventing crime before it happens. That means investing in mental health care, substance use treatment, education, workforce development, stable housing, and early intervention for at-risk youth. I also support expanding diversion and rehabilitation programs for appropriate nonviolent offenders while ensuring violent offenders are held accountable. The ultimate goal should be fewer victims, lower recidivism, and safer communities, not simply lower incarceration rates. |
18 | James Langtad | City Council | Kauai | Yes | No, bail can be the difference between a violent person getting out and causing harm to a person that might have put them there or others..before their case is brought to justice…if they are of merit ,then chances are someone someone will come up with bail or collateral a bail bonds | It’s sad that it’s needed ,but it would need to be structured to rehabilitate and possibly job training.. if not ,it’s for nothing…treat the mental issues,treat the problem.. | That’s a controversial question..usually prisoners who carry lengthy sentences get shipped out to ease the financial strain on the state..it’s cheaper to house people out of state ,but costs us either way…I understand why things are the way they are. | Controversial question..on one hand,people are serving sentences for things that are no longer a crime anymore..and there’s traffic crimes…but what about people with compulsive sticky fingers…unless they are getting mentally treated where the public is safe ,they need to serve their time and still need to address why they have sticky fingers…if not,where does the take what I want ,when I want mentally end?? When they take a girls innocence unwilling,when they take a life…most diseases have proven to get worse if left untreated. | I would find ways for the inmates to generate income through job training programs..in turn ,certain costs can be alleviated while teaching inmates valuable life skills and giving a sense of purpose back at the same time. When it comes down to it ,the best way is to catch it before it’s a problem and look into what can be done to help get our youth back on track…without a place to treat those that need treatment,how can we separate the ones that are causing the degenerative traits from the ones who are simply following them down the wrong path. |
19 | James R Langtad | City Council | Kauai | Yes | No,accountability needs to be held…if a person was wronged…more than likely there’s someone willing to put collateral up to work with a bail bonds… | Think of the same concept, but build it with mental heath care in mind, use the jail guards to keep the workers trying to help safe, instead of the inmates safe from each other. | No | Wording is to vague to properly make a proper statement…something like traffic fines,then yes..something like molestation or rape..that would be a big no. | Make them earn and learn.. |
20 | Keola Kaiminaauao | City Council | Kauai | Yes | No comment | I think we should concentrate on having enough employees at each facility | Depending on the crime committed | No | Looking into assisted programs |
21 | Umi Martin | City Council | Kauai | Yes | I think violent offenders or individuals that are a risk to our community should be held accountable, and bail shouldn't be a question. For non violent offenders bail should be determined on the risk to the public and whether they are likely to show up to their hearing, rather than their ability to pay the bail. As a Kauai County Council candidate I understand that this is primarily a state issue. My responsibility would be to support our police, prosecutors, and first responders, making sure they have the resources to keep our island safe. It is also important that we continue to invest in prevention, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and other programs to reduce repeat offences. | Public safety is one of the essential responsibilities of our government and our correctional facilities should be safe, secure, and capable of meeting our current and future needs. Any decisions to expand our facilities should be based on our need, public safety, and long term planning. Again this is a responsibility of our state government, but as a councilmember I will support our agencies and programs that address public safety issues. | I support bringing home born and raised residents that have a support system in Hawaii. | Yes | I think an effective way to reduce incarceration is to address the factors that lead to crime before an individual enters the criminal justice system. As a councilmember I will support investments in education, workforce development, substance abuse treatment, mental health services, and programs that help people with employment and housing after release. |
22 | Jeremy Haupt | City Council | Kauai | Yes | Not for Multiple offenders | We need better and stronger prosecution and better resource for public saftey officers before we look at expansion. | If its economically feasible . but they are in jail for a reason. We shouldn't burden the public with paying for there mistakes. | No | Harder punishments and being held accountable for there actions. If people were scared to go to prison they wouldn't cause as much crimes. meaning less people in prioson. I actually have met people that will commit crimes to get dental work doner or get a "free meal" and a place to sleep. People aren't scared of prison they look at is as free stuff. |
23 | Michelle Kaleiohi Correa | City Council | Kauai | Yes | My view on bail reform reflects my personal opinion as this is not a primary responsibility of the Kauai County Council. The council may put forth resolutions and testimony towards a State bill. I support bail reform for low-level offenses, so there is equal justice. Often poor or disadvantaged individuals are jailed not because they are dangerous but because they are unable to pay cash for bail. I am for strong victim protections and the ability to detain dangerous individuals regardless of their ability to pay a cash bail. | Specific to Kauai, our current correctional center (KCCC ) sits in a flood & tsunami zone, this is a longstanding issue There is overcrowding and safety issues for incarcerated individuals & facility staff. There will be expansion when the new site is determined. | My personal view is YES! There is a harm done to family ties, cultural connections, rare ( if any ) visits makes it hard for our incarcerated residents to reenter our society again. Keeping people in Hawaii closer to family & community support improves their chances of reentering our society successfully. | No | If elected as a Kauai County Coucil member I will support funding that expands support for at risk youth, homeless & houseless families. Behavioral health care, and teen & adult substance abuse programs. |
24 | Nelson Haruo Mukai | City Council | Kauai | Yes | Yes I believe in bail reform because everyone can prove to be reformed and have another chance. We got to be very convinced that this person is able to be put back in society. | We got to spend the money if needed to expand our prisons. | Yes | Yes | Teach teenagers to be scared straight Fix homelessness problem Create more jobs Help OHA Spread the word that Jesus is coming soon Accept Jesus as their lord and savior. |
25 | Paul Noboru Applegate | City Council | Kauai | Yes | Yes, when it is done in a way that protects public safety and respects the rights of victims. Bail decisions should be based on a person’s risk to the community and likelihood of appearing in court, not simply on their ability to pay. At the same time, violent and repeat offenders who pose a danger to our communities should be held accountable. We need a system that is both fair and focused on public safety. | Building more jail space alone is not the answer. Our focus should be on reducing crime through prevention, early intervention, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, education, job training, and effective rehabilitation. At the same time, Hawaiʻi must maintain safe, secure, and modern correctional facilities for individuals who present a danger to the public. I support investments that improve rehabilitation while ensuring public safety. | I support bringing incarcerated Hawaiʻi residents home when the State has adequate, safe, and secure facilities, along with the staffing and rehabilitation programs necessary to support successful reentry. Keeping individuals closer to their families can strengthen rehabilitation and improve outcomes, but it must be done responsibly and without compromising public safety. | I support evaluating certain non-violent offenses on a case-by-case basis where treatment, diversion, or restorative justice will produce better outcomes than incarceration. However, accountability must remain part of the process, and any changes should improve public safety while helping people address the underlying causes of their behavior. | My priority is reducing crime before it happens. That means investing in youth programs, education, workforce development, affordable housing, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and family support services. I also support expanding diversion programs, specialty courts, and reentry services that help individuals become productive members of the community. As a retired Police Captain, I believe the best public safety strategy is one that balances accountability with opportunities for rehabilitation while always keeping our communities safe. |
26 | Yelena Okhman | City Council | Kauai | Yes | I support thoughtful bail reform that protects public safety while ensuring that people are not held in jail solely because they cannot afford bail. Violent offenders and individuals who pose a risk to the community should be held accountable, while nonviolent individuals should be evaluated based on risk rather than income. Any reform must balance fairness, public safety, and accountability. | Public safety is essential, but we cannot build our way out of crime. I support maintaining safe and humane correctional facilities while also investing in mental health services, substance abuse treatment, education, job training, and reentry programs that reduce repeat offenses. The long-term goal should be safer communities and fewer people returning to the criminal justice system. | Yes | I support evidence-based alternatives to incarceration for certain nonviolent offenses when they improve outcomes and maintain public safety. Mental health treatment, substance abuse recovery, education, and job training can often be more effective than incarceration alone. However, accountability and community safety must remain part of any approach | My priorities are prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and successful reentry. We need greater investment in mental health services, substance abuse treatment, education, job training, and support for individuals transitioning back into the community. We should also ensure that individuals released from prison have access to transportation to a safe destination of their choice, helping reduce the risk of homelessness, relapse, or reoffending during this critical transition period. By addressing the root causes of crime while maintaining accountability, we can reduce repeat offenses, strengthen families, and create safer communities throughout Hawaiʻi. |
27 | Bobby Pahia | City Council | Maui - Upcountry | Yes | I support bail reform because the system we have right now is not equitable. We are incarcerating people waiting for a fair trial or for non-violent crimes and it’s a burden on taxpayers. We can divert those funds elsewhere. The justice system is supposed to be applied to everyone equally, regardless of how much money you have, but that’s not the reality. The bail system, as it currently is, allows people with more money to bypass accountability while those with less face harsher punishments. That’s why I support bail reform. | Investing in more incarceration isn’t going to help us. We should invest in solutions that address poverty and the root causes for crime to keep people out of trouble and out of jail. We should invest those funds into affordable housing, shelters, and drug treatment facilities instead. My dream is to make prisons irrelevant, so focusing on expansion is not a productive use of our limited funds. Looking at our budget, this is a choice between prisons or programs. I consider which is going to create longstanding change for those individuals and the broader community. When given the choice, I choose to support programs that give people the opportunity to change their ways and benefit society. | Yes | Yes | Creating policy that supports programs over punishment. I want to prioritize rehabilitation and prevention programs that address the root causes and environments that create crime in the first place. Addressing poverty, food insecurity, lack of housing… all the cost of living issues are also proven to reduce crime and incarceration rates too. |
28 | Derrick W. Cabiles | City Council | Maui - Upcountry | Yes | I worked as an Adult Correctional Officer at MCCC, so I know how the system works on the inside. I support practical, common-sense bail reform. Someone who made a low-level, non-violent mistake shouldn’t be sitting in jail just because they’re broke—that just costs them their job and hurts their family. But we have to draw a hard line: violent and high-risk offenders need to stay behind bars to keep our neighborhoods safe. | In business and logistics, you don't build a new warehouse when the one you have is mismanaged. Before we expand our prison system, we need to fix the system we have. Let's make sure our current facilities are safe and our corrections officers are supported. Instead of just adding more cells, we need to invest in mental health, drug treatment, and job training so people don't keep ending up back in the system. | Yes | We should handle low-level, non-violent offenses—especially those tied to drugs or mental health—by getting people into treatment instead of just throwing them in jail. But we also have to protect our small businesses and public spaces. Any changes need to come with strong diversion programs so people get help, but are still held accountable. | My priorities for reducing incarceration are rooted in prevention, mentorship, and building structural stability for our families: Youth Development and Mentorship: Through my experience mentoring youth in powerlifting and bodybuilding, I’ve seen the transformative power of discipline and mentorship. We need to invest in youth programs, sports, and trades training to give teenagers positive pathways before they ever encounter the justice system. Addressing Economic Stressors: When families face crushing living costs and a broken county permitting system that delays housing and jobs, economic desperation rises. By focusing on local family affordability, we reduce the financial pressures that often lead to crime. Strengthening Re-entry and Workforce Pipelines: With my background in construction and logistics, I want to champion workforce re-entry programs that connect individuals leaving the justice system directly with skilled trades and public employee opportunities. Gaining stable employment is the single most effective tool to prevent re-offending and keep families together. |
29 | Randy Konohia | City Council | Maui - Wailuku | Yes | Yes, to reduce over crowding in prisons | We need to build new facilities on every island the old facilities are out dated and unsafe for both staff and prisoners. We need to bring our prisoners back home. | Yes | Yes | More funding for programs, outreaches with churches, non-profit organizations, state, county governments to be pro-active with hands on in our communities talking story and engaging directly with families about issues that causes incarceration. |
30 | Marvin Moniz | City Council | Maui - Wailuku | Yes | I believe any violent offenders need to be dealt with in the court of law. As for non-violent offenders, the state needs to look at programs to help rebuild individuals' lives and be sensitive to protecting victims and our community. | State needs to look at upgrading and expanding current facilities and looking at public and private partnerships to help fund these upgrades. | As long as we can provide accommodations to be fair and reasonable to our Ohana. This may need to visited on a case by case. | I support programs such as substance abuse, mental health services and various job training programs. | Develop or create programs that will promote rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Programs that will provide necessary emotional, physical, and mental wellness resources to individuals seeking rehabilitation versus punishment via incarceration. |
31 | Stevie Kathryn Chung | City Council | Maui | Yes | I support bail reform seeing as it can-and HAS been done as an act of removing a classist structure and allows the authorities to focus on risk assessment in relation to bail rather than affordability. | My take is that prison reform needs to happen on a multitude of levels. We keep building these places with such cold and isolating terms of function, and to keep building and expanding them without improving upon design methods that would help to inspire personal growth and development that makes for a smoother transition to the public is doing society as a whole a great disservice. Brutalist architecture isnt gonna cut it for me. | Yes | Yes | Loosening legislation on nonviolent crimes that dont do direct harm to individuals and nature, targeting systemic issues that make could possibly contribute to crime rates, and using my voting and legislative abilities to aid the nonviolent incarcerated and thair families in a more dignified, ethical manner than our current system functions on. We aslo have to find diverse outlets for the range of houseless people on island from voluntary vanlifers to involuntarily unhoused families who cant secure housing. Arresting homeless people for being homeless shouldnt be an option. |
32 | Jennifer Margaret Booker | Federal Congress | District 1 | Yes | Yes, as I described in my book Idiot-Proofing Democracy, incarceration for cash bail is very race-discriminatory. | We need adequate jail and prison space for our needs. | Yes | Yes | Decriminalization of marijuana. Increased funding and incentives to increase police presence. |
33 | Jordan Conley | Federal Congress | District 1 | Yes | Yes. I am for no cash bail. People normally commit crimes because they do not have resources. We should not ask them for money when most do not have it. | I am not for jail or prison expansion. I am more for crime prevention. We need a living wage. If you can afford it, you'll most likely pay for it. We need a housing first policy when it comes to homelessness. Women in the street often use illegal uppers to stay awake at night because it is not safe for them to sleep alone in the dark. We need universal pre K through college. Poor people tend to have less education overall. Your parents income should not hold your education back. We also need more jobs outside of what we consider work now. And every job, including McDonald's, should pay a living wage. If you make a living wage you do not need to commit crimes. | Yes | Yes | Education first. I ran a non profit called Hapa Mana. Look it up! We need to educate all kids. They love knowledge and to learn. Teach a man to fish! We need to get back to the way Hawaii was and not how the west has made us. We need food forests all over the island, at schools, in neighborhoods, and especially low income areas. These forests would need to be planted, maintained, picked, and more by people. I think we should pay youth coaches a living wage. The Kingdom of Hawaii used to take care of it's people. Ohana means no one is left behind. The west stole that from us. While there will always be crimes of passion, we can solve crimes of poverty. Tax the wealthy. Education. Housing first. Food production. Ohana. People over money. |
34 | Edward Codelia | Federal Congress | District 2 | Yes. Investment should be evidence-based, accountable, and measured by outcomes. Hawaiʻi has spent significant public resources studying and addressing poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse, yet the problems continue to worsen. Future funding should prioritize programs that demonstrate measurable success in helping people achieve long-term stability, recovery, employment, and independence, while regularly evaluating and discontinuing programs that fail to produce meaningful results. | Bail reform is primarily a state responsibility, and Hawaiʻi should determine its own pretrial policies. At the federal level, I support reforms that protect both constitutional rights and public safety. Individuals should not remain in custody solely because they cannot afford bail when they pose little risk, while judges should retain the authority to detain individuals who present a significant danger to the community or a serious flight risk. The goal should be a fair, evidence-based system that protects due process, victims, and public safety. | Hawaiʻi's correctional facilities were largely designed and constructed decades ago for a much smaller population, different demographics, and a different correctional philosophy. Rather than continuing to renovate aging facilities indefinitely, Hawaiʻi should evaluate building modern correctional facilities that improve safety, rehabilitation, education, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, medical services, and reentry while providing safe working conditions for correctional employees. As a Member of Congress, I would work to identify federal funding opportunities, support appropriate appropriations, pursue available grants, and advocate for federal partnerships that help Hawaiʻi modernize its correctional infrastructure. At the same time, the State should evaluate repurposing older correctional facilities into intake and assessment centers, halfway houses, behavioral health facilities, homeless transition programs, or other community uses where appropriate. The goal should not be incarceration for its own sake, but a modern public safety system that reduces recidivism, protects communities, and makes responsible use of taxpayer resources. | Yes. I support bringing incarcerated Hawaiʻi residents home when Hawaiʻi has the secure, modern correctional capacity to do so safely and responsibly. Family and community connections can play an important role in rehabilitation and successful reentry, but the State also has a responsibility to ensure adequate facilities, staffing, programming, and security before transferring large numbers of inmates. As a Member of Congress, I would support federal partnerships and funding opportunities that help Hawaiʻi modernize its correctional infrastructure and rehabilitation programs so that more individuals can serve their sentences closer to home without compromising public safety. | I do not support blanket decriminalization. I support evidence-based diversion for appropriate non-violent offenders when it demonstrably reduces recidivism, protects victims, and improves long-term public safety. Any reforms should be evaluated using measurable outcomes and adjusted if they fail to achieve those goals. | My priority is reducing crime before incarceration becomes necessary. At the federal level, I would support investments in mental health care, substance abuse treatment, education, workforce development, and evidence-based reentry programs that reduce recidivism and improve long-term outcomes. I also support modern correctional facilities that provide meaningful rehabilitation, vocational training, and treatment while maintaining public safety. Federal funding should be tied to measurable performance, transparency, and accountability so taxpayers know which programs are actually reducing repeat offenses. Reducing incarceration should be the result of fewer people committing crimes and fewer people returning to prison—not simply changing the definitions of crime or lowering accountability. |
35 | Clyde McClain "Mac" Lewman | Governor / Lt. Governor | Governor | Yes | Definitely - It does not help and only benefits bail bondsmen. If necessary use tracking devices. Totally unfair to those without money. Persons are keenly aware that they will be tracked down and money wont make a difference/ | We have enough prisons. More at home detention for non-violent crimes. And daily 12 step meetings. | Yes | Yes | Mandatory 12 step meetings daily or at least every other day. Listening to others helps self talk and self identity. |
36 | Gary Cordery | Governor / Lt. Governor | Governor | Yes | Yes, bail reform has to be based on a number of factors individually determined | OCCC should be replaced and moved out of its current location. | Yes | case by case basis | Address the youth epidemic with actual reforms and create more work programs that connect accountability, merit pay and mentorship programs. |
37 | George Lucas-Tadeo | Governor / Lt. Governor | Governor | Yes | Yes. I believe Hawaiʻi should reform its bail system to better reflect the principles of due process, equal protection, and public safety. Every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Pretrial detention should not function as a punishment before conviction. Courts should rely on individualized risk assessments, the seriousness of the alleged offense, criminal history, and the likelihood of appearing in court rather than a person’s ability to pay. Bail reform should strengthen accountability while ensuring that constitutional rights are protected and dangerous offenders remain subject to appropriate detention. | I do not believe prison expansion should be Hawaiʻi’s primary response to crime. Our focus should be on preventing crime, reducing repeat offenses, and addressing the underlying causes that lead individuals into the criminal justice system. Expanding access to treatment, mental health care, job training, and community-based supervision can improve public safety while reducing long-term incarceration costs. Where incarceration is necessary, correctional facilities must provide safe, humane, and constitutional living conditions. The Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, and the State has a legal obligation to ensure that those in its custody are treated with dignity while serving their sentence. | Yes | Yes | My priority is a justice system that emphasizes prevention, accountability, rehabilitation, and public safety. Reducing incarceration begins with strengthening families and communities. Hawaiʻi should expand access to affordable housing, employment opportunities, behavioral health services, educational programs, and youth intervention initiatives. These investments help reduce recidivism and improve community stability. Individuals who pose a serious threat to public safety must continue to be held accountable under the law, but long-term reductions in incarceration require addressing the social and economic factors that contribute to criminal conduct. |
38 | Ken Fujiyama | Governor / Lt. Governor | Governor | Yes | I am not familiar with the subject | I am for it. I looked into building one a long time ago . | Yes | There are areas to study | Degree and number of offenses |
39 | Calvert A. Williamson | Governor / Lt. Governor | Governor | Yes | Yes | I believe dangerous individuals who present a significant risk of violence or flight should remain in custody pending trial. Public safety must always come first. At the same time, I do not believe that someone who poses little risk to the community should remain in jail simply because they cannot afford to post bail. When appropriate, judges should have the option to place eligible defendants under strict electronic monitoring with conditions requiring them to work, support their families, attend court, and comply with all court orders. This approach protects public safety while allowing individuals to remain productive members of society rather than losing their jobs, housing, and family stability before they have been convicted of a crime. I am not soft on crime : * Detain those who are dangerous. * Supervise those who are not. * Require accountability from everyone. | Yes | I do not know whether my full response will fit within the space provided, but this question requires more than a simple yes-or-no answer. While it may appear straightforward, it involves important considerations regarding public safety, accountability, victims’ rights, rehabilitation, and prevention. My complete response is provided below. | I am combining my response to the top question with the last question: I do not support the blanket decriminalization of non-violent offenses. The appropriate response depends on the nature of the crime and whether there is a victim. Many non-violent crimes still cause significant harm. Financial crimes, theft, fraud, vandalism, and property offenses can leave victims with real economic and emotional losses. In those cases, my priority is accountability and making victims whole whenever possible. Here: we cannot separate the issues if we are going to solve the problems. In such situations where there is a conviction of the crimes that we disagree should be decriminalized, I believe we can reconcile our differences by agreeing that once atonement is completed the record will be expunged as I explain below. I believe in an atonement-based approach to justice. If an offender accepts responsibility, fulfills court-ordered obligations, makes restitution to the victim, and complies with appropriate supervision and rehabilitation requirements, incarceration may not be necessary in every case. However, if the threat of incarceration is necessary to ensure accountability or to protect the public, I do not support decriminalizing that offense. Public safety cannot be approached as an isolated issue. Crime does not exist in a vacuum. It is often influenced by economic opportunity, education, housing, mental health, substance abuse, family stability, and access to meaningful employment. Likewise, protecting our communities requires more than enforcing our laws. It requires building stronger communities where fewer people are driven toward criminal behavior in the first place. That is why my platform approaches public safety comprehensively. We must invest in prevention by expanding economic opportunity, strengthening education, improving access to healthcare and mental health services, supporting families, and creating pathways to stable employment. At the same time, we must ensure that those who commit crimes are held accountable for the harm they cause. Prevention and accountability are not competing priorities—they are both essential to creating a safer Hawaiʻi. |
40 | CUADRA, Ku, L. (Bobby) | Governor / Lt. Governor | Lt. Governor | Yes | Yes, in favor for bail reform. Incarceration after intake of arrest with long process of the right to a speedy trial is subject to unique circumstances due to heavy increase of population and workload to public and private sector of criminal litigation. As with the over population in the state prison causes risk to catching more charges while detained cause great interest in difference with the overall financial sum if bail reform becomes active. | One is for Jail expansion if overall development updates the entire facility and structures surrounding to moderate positive favor of future contraflo into a smooth and efficient feng shui operation. | In support to bring true locals home but if originally not from this state then not committed unless those individuals have genetic offspring rooting to the state. | the support of decriminalization of certain non-violent offenses is in place regardless of any strategy related to decarceration, diversion of resources, and preventative economic programs. | Priority to revaluation of mandatory sentencing with Hawaii Revised Statutes must be modified. One believes Hawaii, should not have a three strike rule. Personal history has reveled that harsher punishment will not deter or lower crime but instead deplete the government financially. Due to the nature of of financial stress creating the increase arrest and mixture of purgery/false reports many criminals are now librated while hiding behind the mask of a victim in turn being compensated for legal action taken upon incidents that have been tainted by false allegations or deceitful intention.. |
41 | Derek S.K. Kawakami | Governor / Lt. Governor | Lt. Governor | Yes. As Mayor, we have done much work to address the root causes of poverty. We have built homes with wrap-around services at Kealaula at Pua Loke and Kealaula at Lima Ola. We work with our continuum of care partners as well as our health providers to address substance abuse and addiction as well as mental health support but so much work remains. As Lieutenant Governor, I look forward to working with existing partners and growing alliances with other partners incuding our faith based communites, organized labor, as well as existing homeless communities. This is an issue that impacts all of us and it will take a coordinated effort to help these families get back on their feet | Yes. Ability to pay should not be a reason why an individual remains detained pretrial. With technology, there are alternative ways to ensure that we keep our community safe while not unjustly detaining someone simply based on limited financial resources. | Our prisons and jails are overcrowded and understaffed. We need to expand and invest in additional resources in our current facilities, but we must also create programs and resources to rehabilitate and support incarcerated members of our community so that they can successfully transition back into their communities. | Yes | Yes | Early Intervention and prevention programs. As Mayor, we have invested a tremendous amount of resources for early intervention programs through our Kauai Police Activities League. We are currently constructing two spaces to expand upon their existing programs that include boxing, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, flag football, basketball, and will add on e-sports, bowling, and pickleball. We are also renovating the “old Big Save” space into a 25,000 sq foot youth center that will include an infant toddler center, Kauai Police Activities League, and have partnered with the Keala Foundation to bring more programs that have an impact on both our youth and their families because we understand that the best way to prevent our people from taking the wrong road, is to guide them on the right path early on. |
42 | Felicia Cowden | Mayoral | Kauai | Yes | I support bail reform for petty and non-violent misdemeanors but not for violent crimes, including family violence. Having been council committee Chair for Public Safety for almost eight years, I have grown more conservative. Too many people, especially women, are fearful to call for help because their assailant will be quickly released on bail with greater anger for having been arrested. | The vision for a new Ma'alo Road 20+ acre Kauai Correctional Facility, as presented in the symposium, was inspiring, offering a more therapeutic approach to incarceration. The goals of incarceration are best to focus more strongly on rehabilitation than punishment, though crime deterrence is still important. Work release programs and educational training are to be encouraged. The open agricultural setting with positive outdoor visitation areas is an improvement. My recommendation is for simple housing available on the exterior perimeter of the campus for those recently released to avoid the economic and social cliff that often trips ex-offenders into recidivism. | We need to improve conditions at Halawa and OCCC before bringing all inmates home. Full presence of Hawaii incarcerated people in Hawaii is the ideal. | Yes | Increasing opportunities for successful housing, employment and empowerment is the best way to reduce incarceration. Vocational training in high school and KCC is a valuable launch directly into needed, well paying jobs. Our crime rate is escalated by boredom, despair and economic frustration. |
43 | Megeso-William Denis | Mayoral | Kauai | Yes | Yes, I prefer risk-based bail. Reformed for low-risk, nonviolent offenses while preserving judicial discretion for dangerous cases and felony offenses. | I am for upgrading deteriorating facilities with inhumane conditions, including water leaks, inadequate ventilation, and severe overcrowding . | It depends on the type of crime and their status. | The question is vague by not defining what certain crimes would include. I support an increase in mental Health facilities as a method to prevent crime by the mentally challenged, or drug addicted population. Crimes are bodily harm of another or property damage. Other offenses require rehabilitation, and opportunity. Habitual offenders fall under a different category. | No incarceration for infractions; mandatory restitution and community service for property damage crimes under $1,000 dollars; depending on the crime strong lawful sentences reduces crime, especially when bodily harm is involved. |
44 | Michaela Widener | Mayoral | Kauai | Yes | Yes. Our entire justice system needs reform. | I am against it. We need to give people more access to mental and social health services. Most crimes are misdemeanors and deserve a more rehabilitation approach | Yes | Yes | Addressing the problem at it's source. Most crime and violence is a result of systemic oppression. We are currently living in a system that supports the largest wealth gap in American history. With great wealth comes even greater poverty. You cannot make money without taking it from someone else. The 1% has been avoiding taxes and wage increases hoarding wealth for too long. It's time they pay their taxes like everyone else. |
45 | Laura Lindsey | Mayoral | Kauai | Yes | Yes. Fairness and equity | Nonsense. Need to reinvent and rethink the system. | Yes | Yes | Education and opportunity |
46 | Amy Petterson | Mayoral | Maui | Yes | Bail, as it is now, benefits those with money more than anything else. This means if someone commits a non-violent crime, such as shoplifting, they may be hit with a bail amount they cannot pay and are sent to jail. Meanwhile if another person were to commit a violent crime, they may be hit with a large bail amount that they can pay. Allowing a violent offender back onto the streets, but keeping the non-violent offender locked away. This is a dangerous failing on the systems part and it has led to many offenders using the opportunity to commit a violent crime again. Bail reform is needed to prevent these issues and ensure that the ones who actually need to be in jail, stay in jail. | Many of those convicted of a crime are sent out of state due to limited space in Hawai'i prisons and jails. I believe this should be rectified and the best way of doing so is by expanding current facilities. However, these expansions need to be mindful not just of the surrounding residents, but also of how well they may work at rehabilitating inmates. Our prison system focuses more on punishment, and while many may find this fair, this doesn't prevent re-offenders. In fact, it only encourages it. Thus not really reducing public harm. Should we expand prisons and jails to keep local inmates on island, we must also expand inmate resources and living standards to ensure that we lessen the chance of them becoming re-offenders. By making more therapy resources, more outside paid work or volunteering opportunities, proper privacy, and humane treatment, we can ensure safe rehabilitation and in general make the islands a better place. | Yes | Yes | Most commonly, crimes are committed as a symptom of a larger issue. That larger issue is our current system. Hawai'i has one of the highest costs of living out of any US state and because of this, crime has run rampant when residents don't have security. If we are to reduce rates of incarceration, we have to make large systematic changes to ensure locals can actually afford to live a life without crime. That means implementing policies that support affordability such as rental stabilization, creating humane interim housing for the homeless, creating more county-supported job opportunities, and creating more easily accessible mental health and public health programs (such as CAHOOTS) to assess and support local needs. |
47 | Callahan P. Welsh | Mayoral | Maui | Yes | Do I support bail reform? Yes, but it has to be done with common sense. Right now, our jails are overcrowded with people who committed lower-level, non-violent offenses, and they are sitting there simply because they don't have the cash to pay bail. Meanwhile, a rich outsider who commits the same offense can just write a check and walk free. That isn’t a fair justice system. As a Marine veteran, my number one priority is keeping Maui County safe. I am 100% against letting violent criminals, domestic abusers, or repeat offenders back onto our streets. But for non-violent, low-risk cases, we should be using risk-based supervision instead of wealth-based detention. Keeping non-violent people locked up before their trial costs our taxpayers hundreds of dollars a day per person—money that should be going toward mental health, drug rehab, and keeping our community safe. We need a system that is tough on real crime, but fair to our local people. | As a resident of Maui and a Mayoral candidate, I don't want to see jails being expanded in our beautiful island home, or across the state. I want to see more athletic opportunities to help kids, teens, young adults, and the elderly stay on a positive course and stay active in community athletic programs and organizations. This keeps them from turning to crimes and addictive drugs that alter their minds just to get a dopamine rush. If we are to expand something, it should be soccer fields and CrossFit gyms to get the people in our communities into a healthy lifestyle rather than putting them in jail. I would rather see halfway houses used as a better option to provide individuals who really want to change with life-saving skills. We can train them to become lifeguards, paramedics, and community first responders alongside being athletes, allowing them to use their mind, body, and soul for the good of the community and a positive lifestyle. | I am not an expert on this, but I don't think we shouldn't just build massive new 'super-jails' for the sake of locking more people up. Our priority needs to be expanding local mental health and substance abuse treatment beds right here on Maui to stop the prison pipeline before it starts. However, we have to be realistic: our current local facilities are dangerously overcrowded, and we are currently shipping 1,000 local men to private prisons in Arizona just to manage the numbers. I support upgrading, modernizing, and expanding our existing facilities strictly to ensure they are safe, humane, and capable of housing our local population so we can bring our people back home to rehabilitate near their families. | I haven't had time to really think all of these questions through. Based on the timeframe of this response needs to be submitted, I would need more time to learn and understand the best way to approach this, so I can only answer this right now as a resident of Maui. It completely depends on the crime and the individual's record. I agree that a first-time, non-violent offender caught with a minor amount of cannabis shouldn't be thrown in jail—they need a positive path forward, like the athletic and life-skills training programs I support, to get their lives on track. However, we cannot allow 'decriminalization' to become a revolving door for serial criminals. Look at cases right here on Maui like Erath Kaihewalu, who walked our streets with 18 convictions. If a person is constantly stealing from local businesses or threatening public safety, they must be held accountable. I support diversion and help for minor, first-time offenses, but repeat offenders belong behind bars. | This is a difficult task, but one that has to be addressed as a candidate for Mayor. My outlook on this is simple, some ideas for reducing incarceration must focus on getting to the root of the problem before someone’s life is ruined. As a Marine veteran, I believe in accountability and keeping our communities safe, but locking people up over and over again without fixing what drove them there isn't working. First, we have to tackle the meth and drug epidemic on Maui by expanding local rehabilitation and mental health services, instead of just using our jails as a default holding cell for people who are struggling. I have lost a handful of friends from Maui High School to meth, and it breaks my heart because they were awesome athletes. Somehow, they lost their focus to the rush of hardcore drugs, and I don't want that for anyone else. Second, we need to support our youth more than what our communities currently offer. If we give our local kids solid job training in fields they are interested in at an early age, where they don't necessarily have to focus only on traditional higher education; along with more sports programs and a real sense of purpose early on, I feel we can keep them out of trouble and on the right path. We need to save our people and build them up starting at a young age, and not just wait for them to fail. It is 2026, we are living in the future and I need all Maui County to do their part to think of solutions that could help Maui County thrive. I can give my ideas and support, but it still takes a village to come together in the best way possible for a positive future and one we can leave the next generation a thriving place and not a over-drug used, over-crowded system in place. Mahalos. |
48 | P.Denise La Costa | Mayoral | Maui | Yes | Bail should be commensurate with the offense, whether the defendant is a repeat offender and the circumstances surrounding the arrest. | Prisons should be for criminals who are either repeat felony offenders or dangerous. Jails (local) should be used when the offender needs to be incarcerated because of the severity of their [alleged] crimes. Many folks who are incarcerated are so because of manini crimes but they are made an example. Judges have too much, and sometimes too little discretion. There may be more need for drug or alcohol treatment centers instead of jails or prisions. | ONLY if those who still need to be imprisoned stay behind bars. | Yes | I believe Maui County needs a justice system that is firm, fair, and focused on real public safety. Prosecutors should have guidelines that allow for common sense and flexibility, especially when dealing with nonviolent offenses. Someone arrested for simple marijuana possession, with no intent to distribute, should not be treated the same as someone who causes serious harm to another person. At the same time, I am deeply frustrated when we see cases like DUI-related vehicular homicide result in sentences that feel far too light. A life is gone. A family is forever changed. Justice must reflect the seriousness of that loss. We need more consistency and equity in sentencing. We also need to look honestly at who is in our jail system, why they are there, and whether the punishment matches the crime. If certain communities are disproportionately represented, we need to ask hard questions and fix what is broken. Drug and alcohol treatment must be part of the solution. Addiction does not excuse crime, but treatment can reduce repeat offenses, protect the public, and help people rebuild their lives. The challenge is housing, staffing, and funding these programs — but those are problems leadership must solve. As Mayor, my focus would be on public safety, accountability, rehabilitation where appropriate, and justice that actually makes sense for Maui County. |
49 | Travis A. Liggett | Mayoral | Maui | Yes | Pretrial detention should depend on an individualized assessment of flight risk or a credible threat to public safety, not a person's income or access to capital. Cash bail should not keep low-risk people in jail simply because they lack access to capital, while courts should retain authority to detain individuals who present a demonstrable danger. My broader platform prioritizes addressing the root causes of out-of-range behaviors through housing, healthcare, behavioral health, and economic stability afforded by a broad legislative package and platform available at LivingMaui.org and LivingMaui.org/legislation . The foundation of my philosophy is to refocus enforcement upon systemic factors leading to distress and related bad behaviors, which I believe will preclude most so-called crime before avoidable personal distress leads to crisis. Before trial, people whose conduct may arise from distress should receive diagnostic care that examines whether systemic failures—including unlawful wastewater discharges that release risky pathogens into recreational areas—may have contributed to illness, distress, or the alleged conduct. Justice must ensure compliance of regulatory systems with due diligence before enforcing symptoms of illness solely at the level of the individual. | This is not a good idea until the government proposing expansion is itself compliant with regulations and expectations of basic due diligence at the government level, before investment is considered to expand what is effectively, in many cases, enforcement on individual-level "symptoms" of unconscious and often non-compliant behavior by the systems operating enforcement from the same purse. | Yes | Yes | I have worked with unsheltered residents, advocates and Council staff to draft a Zero Unsheltered resident bill Hānai Kākou Act that guarantees emergency housing to all residents. UKHUN Act integrates personal well being and care into a platform that can prevent folks from falling through the cracks of healthcare, closing gaps and stopping individual failure modes before they develop. Ready to introduce policies can be found at LivingMaui.org or LivingMaui.org/legislation and on Instagram at @livingmauinui . Aloha! |
50 | Richard T. Bissen, Jr. | Mayoral | Maui | Yes | As a former judge, prosecutor, and now Mayor, I believe our justice system must protect both public safety and the constitutional rights of every individual. Bail should never be based solely on a person's ability to pay. The primary consideration should always be whether someone poses a risk to public safety or is unlikely to appear in court. I support thoughtful, evidence-based reforms that improve fairness while maintaining accountability. At the same time, I do not support reforms that compromise community safety. Judges must continue to have the discretion to consider the seriousness of the offense, a person's criminal history, the risk they pose to others, and the likelihood they will return to court. The goal should be a system that is fair, protects victims, holds offenders accountable, and keeps our communities safe. Having served as both a prosecutor and a judge, I understand the importance of balancing individual rights with our responsibility to protect the people of Maui County. That balance should remain at the heart of any bail reform. | As a former judge and prosecutor, I understand that incarceration is necessary for individuals who pose a serious threat to public safety. We have a responsibility to protect our communities, support victims, and ensure there are appropriate consequences for criminal behavior. At the same time, simply expanding prisons and jails is not, by itself, a long-term solution. Most correctional facilities in Hawaiʻi are operated by the State, not the County, but I believe our focus should be on reducing crime through prevention, treatment, education, workforce opportunities, and rehabilitation, while ensuring we have safe, secure facilities for those who must be incarcerated. For individuals who present a danger to others, our justice system must have the capacity to protect the public. For those whose underlying challenges involve mental health, substance use, or other treatable conditions, we should continue investing in diversion programs and services that reduce repeat offenses and improve outcomes. The goal should be safer communities, fewer victims, and a justice system that is both accountable and effective. As Mayor, I will continue working with our state and community partners to support approaches that enhance public safety, strengthen rehabilitation, and make the best use of taxpayer resources. | Yes | Yes | As a former judge, prosecutor, and now Mayor, I have seen firsthand that the best way to reduce incarceration is to reduce the circumstances that lead people into the justice system in the first place. The goal is not simply fewer people in jail—it is fewer victims, stronger families, and safer communities. My priorities are investing in prevention, expanding access to mental health and substance use treatment, supporting workforce development and education, increasing affordable housing, and strengthening diversion programs for individuals whose underlying challenges can be addressed outside of incarceration. At the same time, we must continue to hold people accountable for serious and violent crimes and ensure victims remain at the center of our justice system. While many criminal justice policies are the responsibility of the State, County government plays an important role in creating opportunities that help people succeed. When people have stable housing, meaningful employment, access to healthcare, and a supportive community, they are far less likely to reoffend. That is the kind of long-term investment that makes our communities safer and gives more people the opportunity to rebuild their lives. |
51 | Billionaire, Shelby "PIkachu" | OHA | At-Large | Yes. Public safety begins long before someone enters the criminal justice system. I support investing in housing stability, education, mental health, addiction treatment, workforce development, Native Hawaiian economic opportunities, and family support while maintaining accountability for criminal behavior. Prevention costs less than incarceration and strengthens our communities. | I support balanced bail reform. Non-violent individuals who are not a danger to the community should not remain incarcerated solely because they cannot afford bail. However, violent offenders, repeat offenders, and those who pose significant risks to public safety should remain subject to judicial discretion that prioritizes community safety and victims' rights. | Building more prisons alone will not solve crime. Hawaiʻi should first reduce recidivism through education, vocational training, substance abuse treatment, mental health services, and successful reentry programs. Any correctional facilities should be safe, modern, and focused on rehabilitation while protecting the public. | Yes—provided Hawaiʻi has adequate secure facilities, staffing, and rehabilitation programs to safely house them. Keeping incarcerated individuals closer to family can improve rehabilitation and reduce recidivism, but public safety and responsible implementation must remain the highest priorities. | treatment, education, or restorative justice may be more effective than incarceration. However, repeat offenders, organized criminal activity, trafficking, exploitation, and offenses that threaten public safety should continue to be prosecuted appropriately. | My priorities are preventing crime before it occurs by expanding educational opportunities, job training, affordable housing, addiction treatment, mental health services, and family support. I also support successful reentry programs that reduce repeat offenses while ensuring violent criminals remain accountable and communities remain safe. |
52 | Karl Veto Baker | OHA | At-Large | Yes | Yes as what is happening now is not working | I believe we should keep our convicts here so they are able to get family visits | Yes | Yes | Make sure the non violent offenders are put in a counseling program and not straight to jail. |
53 | Philip (Kawika) Martin | OHA | At-Large | Yes | Hawaiʻi’s for profit bail system is one of the most harmful and least defensible parts of our justice system. No modern, civilized society should tolerate a structure where freedom depends on wealth. Bail does not measure risk - it measures income. It keeps poor families trapped, destabilizes employment, and pushes people into homelessness. All this exists just so we can have a bigger net to throw out and catch people so we can deprive them of jobs and get them evicted from their homes. We should abolish commercial bail and replace it with a risk-based system that protects public safety without punishing poverty. When officials act outside their authority, 42 U.S.C. § 1983 exists to hold them accountable and allow immunity to be revoked. A Judicial Oversight Board would ensure decisions are transparent, lawful, and consistent with constitutional protections. We must take steps to protect our people from those who seek to do us harm! | Prison expansion is the most expensive and least effective public safety strategy. It costs far more to incarcerate a person than to invest in the resources that prevent incarceration - housing, mental health care, substance use treatment, and stable employment. Expanding prisons only deepens the cycle of poverty and homelessness. Instead, Hawaiʻi should invest in community-based treatment, supportive housing, and workforce programs that address the root causes of crime. Judicial review and oversight are essential so courts cannot continue practices that worsen homelessness, unemployment, and family instability. We should build healthier communities, not bigger prisons. Incarcerating people thousands of miles from their families and support systems is harmful, destabilizing, and counterproductive. Hawaiʻi should prioritize bringing people home and expanding community-based reentry programs that reduce recidivism and strengthen families. | Yes | Yes | Many non-violent offenses - especially those tied to substance use, mental health crises, and poverty - are symptoms of unmet needs, not threats to public safety. Criminalizing homelessness, mental health struggles, and self-medication has never made communities safer. The war on drugs is a failed and harmful policy. We should pardon all past drug convictions, expand treatment access, and shift to a health-based model where people receive care instead of punishment. Decriminalization allows resources to move from incarceration to prevention, treatment, and community stability. Should we continue a path where the courts have unchecked authority to destroy lives and contribute more cast-off people into the ever-growing sea of homelessness? Has the judicial system ever worked to reduce crime and create a safer society? I think we should stop this overreach of a judicial system that has decided it can't be checked and doesn't need balance. I want to believe in a fair judicial system; I want to believe in something that is just unreal. The truth is, Justice is not only blind but has become rather retarded as well. Why do we want this sort of overreach where the courts are just granted jurisdiction over mental health and self-medication? Many problems we face today are a direct result of a position that having mental health issues ought to be a crime. That is why I believe the war on drugs is an evil no civilized society should tolerate. Instead of education and medically sound healthy treatment, we chose to instead ensure that these people find no refuge. Enough already! We should pardon past drug convictions and focus on health-based choices where we get these people the help they need. Some say decriminalization goes too far, but I say it doesn’t go too far enough. |
54 | Matthias Kusch | State House | HD 1 | Yes | I believe in keeping dangerous people off the street while not jailing people just because they're poor. I look at every legislative tool individually. | We need to have prisons for dangerous people. We need reform facilities for people who have made bad decisions are behind bars. Prepare them for reintegration and being productive in society. | Restorative justice helps inmates reintegrate to society. But we have to balance the cost of this, since taxpayers foot the bill. | Again, each bill needs to be evaluated. I believe most of our non violent offenders don't do serious jail time as is. I support programs that help offenders learn economic skills. | workforce training and public works labor for non-violent offenders to 'work' off their debt to society. |
55 | Cristina Holt | State House | HD 2 | Yes | Yes. The current bail system does not make our communities safer. It makes them more unequal. Whether you sit in jail before trial depends not on whether you are dangerous but on whether you can afford to pay. A wealthy person accused of a serious crime goes home. A person without financial resources accused of a minor offense stays locked up, loses their job, loses their housing, loses custody of their children, and often pleads guilty to something they did not do just to get out. That is not justice. That is a wealth based punishment system masquerading as one. I support moving to a system where pretrial detention decisions are based on actual risk to public safety, not ability to pay. That means ending cash bail for nonviolent offenses and investing in pretrial services that connect people to housing, mental health support, and substance use treatment while their cases are pending. If we maintain any form of monetary bail, it must be set as a percentage of individual income and wealth, not as a flat amount. A $500 bail is nothing to a millionaire and everything to a working family living paycheck to paycheck. True accountability means the financial consequence feels the same regardless of how much money you have. No one should sit in jail because they cannot afford to get out. And no one should be able to buy their way out because they are rich. Hawaii's jails are overcrowded largely because of people who cannot afford bail for nonviolent offenses. That is a policy choice and it is the wrong one. | I oppose prison and jail expansion in Hawaiʻi. Full stop. Hawaii already incarcerates people at rates that reflect systemic failure, not public safety success. Our jails hold people with untreated mental illness, substance use disorders, and no stable housing. People who need care not cages. Building a bigger facility is not a solution to a public health crisis. It is an admission that there is more money to be made in warehousing humans than helping them. The proposed super jail on Oahu would lock taxpayers into a long term public private partnership with a for-profit company. I want to be direct about what that means. When a corporation profits from keeping human beings locked up, it has a financial incentive to incarcerate more people for longer. And those prisons rent out inmates for work at pennies on the dollar. That is a new form of slavery and I will fight it with everything I have. That money could instead fund supportive housing, mental health treatment, substance use recovery, and job training. Investing in social support structures reduces crime significantly more than increasing punishment. Hawaii also sends people to prisons thousands of miles from their families. Family connection is one of the most powerful factors in reducing reincarceration. Shipping people to Arizona is cruelty. We do not need more jail beds. We need more housing, more treatment, more community. | Yes | Yes | The most powerful thing we can do to reduce incarceration is to stop treating poverty, mental illness, substance use, and houselessness as criminal problems. They are not. They are public health problems and social failures that we have been routing through the criminal legal system because we have refused to fund the actual solutions. My priorities are straightforward. Invest in community based mental health crisis response so that when someone is in crisis the first responder is a trained counselor not a police officer. Most people do not need to be arrested. They need help. Expand harm reduction programs, treatment on demand for substance use disorders, and recovery housing so people have a real pathway out of the cycles that lead to incarceration in the first place. End cash bail for nonviolent offenses so people are not sitting in jail simply because they cannot afford to get out. Pretrial detention destroys lives, employment, and housing stability and makes people more likely to reoffend not less. Invest in restorative justice programs especially for young people so that a mistake at 17 does not define the rest of someone's life. Expunge records for nonviolent offenses so people can access housing, employment, and education without a permanent barrier following them. And address the root causes directly. Stable housing, living wages, accessible healthcare, and quality education are the most powerful crime prevention tools we have. Everything else is treating symptoms. |
56 | Jonathan Kennealy | State House | HD 2 | Yes | Yes. Hawaiʻi’s judicial system is broken, and bail reform is necessary to overhaul a process that no longer serves justice effectively. | I do not support prison or jail expansion in Hawaiʻi. Anything that increases the burden on taxpayers is the wrong direction. Our overcrowding problem comes from a judicial system that leaves people sitting in jail for far too long before trial. We need to fix case processing, create dedicated facilities for rehabilitation and addiction recovery, and ensure repeat offenders are handled appropriately — not build more taxpayer‑funded buildings. | No | No | I believe the priority for reducing incarceration is fixing the root problems in Hawaiʻi’s justice system. Our jails are overcrowded because people sit for extensive periods before trial, not because we lack space. I support expanding private mental‑health institutions and rehabilitation facilities, and I believe felony drug offenders need steeper penalties and long‑term placement where they cannot continue harming our communities. Creating a restricted‑return list for repeat offenders would help protect our islands and reduce property and violent crime. We must address the core issues, not expand taxpayer‑funded facilities. |
57 | Dalene McCormick | State House | HD 5 | Yes | Need more specifics, I do not support no bail. | I think it's greatly needed but I understand the financial impacts. | Yes | Possibly but I need to know what they are. How about alternatives to incarceration for certain nonviolent offenses. | Look at the root causes and tackle those. Mental Health, access to narcotics, high housing cost, treatment strategies. |
58 | David A. Tarnas | State House | HD 8 | Yes | Yes | We need to appropriate funds to improve our jails and prisons in Hawaii. Overcrowding and unsafe conditions need to be addressed. But, I also advocate for reducing jail population by better pretrial detention policies and practices. I support legislation that guides police to give citations instead of arresting people for certain nonviolent misdemeanors. I also support reclassifying those inmates who have been in higher security prisons and who have now been rehabilitated enough to be transferred to lower security facilities. This will help us to bring home the inmates that are currently housed in Saguaro. We also need to focus more on funding programs for rehabilitation and assisting incarcerated individuals to reintegrate into society. | Yes | Yes | I will continue to propose and support legislation to guide police to give citations instead of arresting people for certain nonviolent misdemeanors. I also advocate amending our drug laws so we treat drug addiction as a health issue not as a criminal issue. Personally, I support legalizing adult use of cannabis while also protecting public health and safety. I also support legalizing jay walking if the pedestrian can cross the road safely. |
59 | Dan Johnson | State House | HD 12 | Yes | No, I believe this has potential to let dangerous individuals easily out on the street prior to their trial or convictions. | I support law enforcement, and if there are needs for more facilities, then I would support any necessary expansion in lieu of letting more criminals off easy to relieve the prisons. | No | Yes | Decriminalizing recreational cannabis would help, and enable a tax on it for revenue. |
60 | Keoni Kuoha | State House | HD 12 | Yes | Yes, I support bail reform. Let's make sure release decisions are based on genuine risk to public safety, not the size of someone's bank account, while maintaining judges' ability to detain those who truly pose a danger. Our system should protect the community and honor the presumption of innocence. Cash bail, as it works now, does neither well. | We shouldn't expand jails before we fix the system that feeds jails. I understand that OCCC is aging and unsafe, and no one should be held—or work—in inhumane conditions. Replacing a facility that's genuinely failing is important. But building a bigger one, at enormous cost, before we've done the harder work of keeping people out of jail in the first place? That's poor decision making. So many of those who sit in our jails are people awaiting trial because they can't afford bail, or people struggling with homelessness, addiction, or mental illness—challenges that belong in treatment and community care, not a cell. If we invested in solutions to those issues first, we wouldn't need as many jail cells. And here in Hawaiʻi, incarceration falls hardest on Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, which makes getting this right a matter of justice, not just budgets. My approach: fix the unsafe conditions, but don't expand capacity as a substitute for smart reform. Right-size any new facility around a real plan to reduce our jail population, and put our resources upstream—into the treatment, housing, and prevention that actually make communities safer. | Yes | Yes | I'd approach this in two horizons—what we can do now, and the deeper changes that actually shrink the pipeline into our jails over time. Short-term, stop incarcerating people who don't belong in a cell. That means treatment and community care instead of jail for those struggling with addiction, mental illness, or homelessness; bail reform so people aren't locked up simply for being poor; and stronger diversion and reentry programs that hold people accountable without derailing their lives. Long-term, we have to address why people end up in the system at all. Three priorities: Affordability, especially housing. So much instability—and the desperation that can follow—traces back to people simply not being able to afford to live here. When families have a stable, affordable home and a real shot at getting ahead, whole categories of harm never materialize. Rethinking education. Our system leaves too many young people—especially our boys—feeling like they don't belong. But learning should do the opposite: it should be fun, engaging, an adventure. And school shouldn't be oriented around college so much as around kuleana—responsibility to ourselves, our families, our community, and our ʻāina. That sense of purpose is what we most need to cultivate in every young person. It creates a solid foundation for a life of purpose and connection. Investing in community. We should be pouring resources into the organizations that bring people together—especially our youth—through culture, the arts, sports, and recreation. This is how we build real community and get people connected. And when people are connected, they value their relationships and have the support they need to make good choices. Connection is the ounce of prevention our society needs right now. |
61 | Ashley Olson | State House | HD 14 | Yes | I support a major overhaul of, if not the end to,our current cash bail system. It disproportionately affects low-income individuals and people of color, even in Hawai`i, causing job loss and can have an outsized negative impact on family units. Too often, it leads to wealth-based detention that is fundamentally unjust. I believe that the money spent on holding non-violent and first-time offenders who cannot afford bail would be better spent on programs that address substance abuse and mental health issues. | Our justice system, including prisons, should never be operated for profit. Our justice system must prioritize public safety, accountability, and rehabilitation, not revenue. I question the state spending $1 billion on a new O`ahu Community Correctional Center when Hawai`i faces urgent needs in housing, health care, and education. At the same time, sending inmates to Arizona separates them from their families and makes rehabilitation and successful reentry more difficult. Correction facilities must meet basic standards of safety and human dignity, but our focus needs to be on reducing crime, and preventing incarceration in the first place. The bottom line is, we should focus on reducing the number of individuals we incarcerate through programs proven to reduce crime. While our corrections facilities will likely still need renovations, we shouldn't need expand capacity by building new ones. | Yes | Yes | 1. Expand access to free or affordable mental health and substance abuse treatment. 2. Decriminalize personal use quantities of drug possession, as well as non-repeat, non-violent offenses. 3. Reform the cash bail system. 4. Invest in rehabilitation and community-based alternatives. |
62 | David Hazlebeck | State House | HD 16 | Yes | I support bail reform that strengthens public safety, not reform that makes it easier for dangerous offenders to be released before trial. My priority is protecting law-abiding citizens while respecting the constitutional rights of those accused of crimes. Too many communities have experienced the consequences of catch-and-release policies, where the same offenders are arrested repeatedly and continue victimizing innocent people. Public safety must come first, including the safety of our incredible law enforcement officers. We should move criminal cases through the courts more quickly so victims receive justice sooner and defendants who are not convicted are not held any longer than necessary. The solution is a more efficient justice system that makes individualized decisions based on risk, not blanket policies that reduce accountability. Hawaiʻi's criminal justice system should prioritize protecting victims, supporting law enforcement, and keeping dangerous offenders off our streets. | I support ensuring Hawaiʻi has enough jail and prison capacity to protect the public and hold offenders accountable. We should not expand correctional facilities simply to increase incarceration, but neither should we limit capacity if doing so compromises public safety. The state has a responsibility to maintain safe, secure, and modern facilities for individuals lawfully held in custody. That does not mean incarceration should be the answer for every offense. Nonviolent offenders who can safely be supervised in the community should be considered for rehabilitation when appropriate. But repeat and violent offenders pose a threat to public safety and should remain behind bars in accordance with their duly litigated sentence. Hawaiʻi should invest in correctional facilities that improve safety for officers, staff, inmates, and the surrounding community while ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. Our criminal justice system should prioritize protecting victims, law enforcement officers, and law-abiding citizens. | Yes | No | My priority is reducing crime. That should always be the goal, and it will naturally lead to reduced rates of incarceration. We can do this by strengthening families, improving education, expanding economic opportunity, addressing substance abuse, and holding all offenders accountable. We must ensure those who commit serious or repeat offenses are incarcerated when necessary to protect the public. At the same time, I support investing in prevention, treatment, workforce development, and rehabilitation for individuals who are committed to turning their lives around. I do not support reducing incarceration by releasing dangerous offenders early or weakening accountability. When we weaken accountability, it emboldens criminals to commit more crimes. Policies should be judged by whether they make our communities safer, reduce victimization, and lower crime rates, not by simply reducing the number of people behind bars. |
63 | Chad Schimmelfennig | State House | HD 17 | Yes | I do support HB1516 in regards to bail reform | Due to the aging of our current prison facilities, I do believe there should be an active conversation to address the needs in each county | I would need more context before making a decision | I am open to having this discussion with the possible decriminalization of certain non violent crimes. | I am open to a collaboration regarding these issues to further research the root causes in each of our counties. I do not believe one person has all the answers and I look forward to anyone who is willing to set aside politics and have a hear to heart conversation to address these concerns. |
64 | Misty Cluett | State House | HD 17 | Yes | I believe bail should reflect the severity of the alleged crime, the risk to public safety, and the likelihood that the accused will return to court—not simply the size of the accused person’s wallet. For lesser, nonviolent offenses with modest bail amounts, I would support exploring a voluntary paid civic-work program that allows eligible individuals to earn the money needed for bail through work such as highway and park cleanup, public-facility cleaning, or grounds maintenance. This would not eliminate bail or replace it with community service. It would provide a pathway for someone without financial resources to meet the same bail requirement through work. | Public safety must come first, and Hawaiʻi needs safe, secure, and humane correctional facilities. However, expansion should not be the automatic response to overcrowding. We should first address repeat offenses, addiction, mental-health issues, and gaps in rehabilitation and reentry. I would support replacing outdated facilities and adding capacity where a clear gap exists, while also investing in solutions that reduce recidivism and improve long-term public safety. | Yes | No | My priority would be prevention before incarceration. That starts with strengthening education, improving literacy, restoring accountability, and expanding career and trade opportunities. We must also address drug addiction through effective treatment while holding traffickers and repeat offenders accountable. For those leaving incarceration, job training and reentry support should be a primary focus. |
65 | Kahi Pacarro | State House | HD 19 | Yes | Yes! I believe that cash bails place an unfair burden on the poor and further perpetuate a cycle of poverty. | Our jails are overcrowded, dangerous, and not conducive to rehabilitation. We need to first focus on reducing our incarcerated population through alternative rehabilitation programs. Then, if we must expand capacity, we should look into building humane rehabilitation centers that reduce recidivism and encourage reintegration. We're also forced to confront the reality that many of our incarcerated residents are no longer even here and rehabilitating someone far from home and culture places an additional roadblock between them and freedom. | Yes | Yes | Passage of statewide Free PreK / Decriminilization of certain non-violent offenses / Emphasis on rehabilitation / Bail reform |
66 | Angie Knight | State House | HD 21 | Yes | I support bail reform; poverty is not a reason for incarceration or prolonged incarceration. That said, at present, I am not supportive of ending the use of cash bail entirely. Most bail amounts are set at less than $1,000; however, even an unexpected expense of $500 or $100 can be devastating to a household’s budget and housing stability. Bail should be set reflective of income, not regardless. Arrests and citations before conviction should not jeopardize a household’s stability or cascade to job loss due to missed shifts or lack of communication. | The condition of the State Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) facilities has been dire for years. Although occupancy rates have declined, facilities continue to age and deteriorate, in some areas to the point of being less than livable. Many kitchens are not safe for food preparation, as documented in the Hawaiʻi Correctional System Oversight Commission reports. The alternative to a costly renovation or the construction of a new O’ahu Community Correctional Center by DCR is to expand contracts with out-of-state facilities. In a recent HCSOC Meeting, DCR stated that OCCC and other state facilities are unable to accommodate the high-level care needed for their long-term, high-need individuals. Although DCR is working with the Department of Health, if they are unable to sort out facilities and care, they might have to provide care through contracted sites. I support investment and contracting with community programs for preventative, diversion or re-entry programs to curb our rate of incarceration. At the same time, I am also in support of having correctional facilities that are safer and better equipped for those incarcerated and furloughed reintegrating into the community, locally, here in Hawai‘i. | Yes | Yes | Income status should not be a reason for incarceration or prolonged incarceration; cash bail rates should be more income-driven. Most bails in our State are set for less than $1,000; however, most households are one unexpected cost away from the risk of housing loss. Another opportunity to reduce rates of incarceration is a review of intake assessment centers and their resources. These Centers are where pre-trial release and recommendations to the correctional system take place. In years past, these centers had designated mental and physical health care workers triaging individuals and recommending appropriate rehabilitative-minded next steps, including substance use detox, mental illness treatment, and flagging repeat offenders. In recent years, due to funding and shortages of medical and mental health professionals, the availability of this care is not guaranteed. As recidivism is often tied to rehabilitation and support, improvements to this entry point to incarceration can be critical in interrupting the current justice cycle. Additionally, a priority is ensuring Hawaiʻi Correctional System Oversight Commission recommendations are implemented. |
67 | Ranell Asuega-Fualaau | State House | HD 21 | Yes | Yes. I believe that people change through actions and heart. Obviously this should be looked at over case by case, however, people can change, I've seen it time and time again. | Here's a polished version that keeps your main points while making the message clearer and more persuasive: Before deciding whether Hawaii should expand its prisons or jails, I believe we need to look at the bigger picture. We should first examine *why* people are entering the criminal justice system in the first place. Are individuals being incarcerated primarily because of serious criminal offenses, or are many struggling with mental health challenges, substance abuse, homelessness, or a lack of support and guidance? Understanding the root causes is essential if we want to create lasting solutions. For example, we've seen an increase in crime involving young adults between the ages of 16 and 24. Instead of focusing only on where to house offenders, we should ask why this is happening. Is it a lack of guidance at home? Gaps in our education system? Limited community support? Economic hardship? The answer may be a combination of these factors. Rather than immediately expanding correctional facilities, we should invest time in identifying and addressing the causes of crime. By strengthening mental health services, youth mentorship, education, family support, and community-based programs, we may be able to reduce crime before it starts. Hawaii is a small island community. Instead of continuing to expand facilities that symbolize the consequences of poor choices, we should focus on building systems that help people make better choices in the first place. Addressing the root causes of crime offers a greater opportunity to improve public safety, strengthen our communities, and reduce the need for incarceration over time. | case by case. i've heard from inmates who were happier in Arizona versus being incarcerated here in Hawaii. They stated they had more access to resources to improve their lives prior to coming out of jail. Some stated facilities were cleaner and they were treated better. | I believe we should carefully evaluate the decriminalization of certain non-violent offenses on a case-by-case basis. Not every non-violent offense poses the same risk to public safety, and in some situations, treatment, education, restitution, or community-based programs may be more effective than incarceration. My focus is on addressing the root causes that lead people into the criminal justice system. If an individual is struggling with mental health challenges, substance use, or other circumstances where treatment and support are more likely to reduce repeat offenses than jail, then those alternatives should be considered. At the same time, individuals must still be held accountable for their actions, and public safety should remain a priority. I support investing in prevention through mental health services, education, workforce development, youth mentorship, and community programs that help reduce crime before it occurs. If diverting appropriate non-violent cases from incarceration allows more resources to be invested in these preventative efforts while maintaining accountability and protecting our communities, I believe that is an approach worth pursuing. | Circling back to my previous answer on reasons why people are in jail in the first place. Community based alternatives, education and skill development, education and skill development, youth programs. |
68 | Victor Muh | State House | HD 23 | Yes | Yes, I support responsible bail reform. A person should not remain incarcerated before trial solely because they are poor, while someone accused of the same offense can secure release because they have money. Bail decisions should be based primarily on public safety, the seriousness of the alleged offense, the likelihood of appearing in court, and the individual’s criminal history—not simply financial resources. Low-risk individuals accused of nonviolent, lower-level offenses should generally be eligible for release on recognizance or under reasonable conditions such as court reminders, supervision, treatment, or electronic monitoring when appropriate. At the same time, judges must retain the authority to detain or impose meaningful bail on individuals who present a credible danger, repeatedly fail to appear, threaten victims or witnesses, or are accused of serious or violent crimes. Reform should also include prompt hearings, reliable information for judges, victim protections, and public reporting on rearrests and court appearances. The goal should be equal justice and greater public safety—not automatic detention based on poverty or automatic release regardless of risk. | I do not support expanding Hawaiʻi’s prisons and jails simply to create more beds or make incarceration the default response to social problems. Hawaiʻi must maintain sufficient secure capacity for individuals who pose a serious danger to the community, but the goal should be greater public safety, not a larger incarcerated population. I support replacing facilities that are unsafe, overcrowded, or beyond repair, including Oʻahu Community Correctional Center. However, replacement should not automatically mean building a larger version of the same system. Hawaiʻi’s Correctional System Oversight Commission has warned against creating an expensive facility that merely warehouses people and has recommended a rehabilitative, therapeutic, and cost-effective model instead. Before approving any expansion, the State should publicly demonstrate the need through credible population projections, independent oversight, a realistic staffing plan, and a full accounting of construction and long-term operating costs. The Legislature should also determine whether the projected population can be safely reduced through bail reform, diversion, treatment, community supervision, and timely court proceedings. Beyond the justice system itself, we must address the root causes of crime. A lower cost of living paired with a higher standard of living and a thriving economy will reduce the incentives that lead people toward criminal activity. When individuals and families have access to stable housing, good-paying jobs, and economic opportunity, communities become safer. Improving overall well-being—including mental health—is also essential, and personal lifestyle choices, including diet, can play a role in supporting healthier, more stable lives. Our limited resources should prioritize mental-health and substance-use treatment, rehabilitation, education, workforce training, and effective reentry programs that reduce repeat offenses. We should provide humane and secure facilities where incarceration is necessary while avoiding unnecessary detention and an endless cycle of building more jail and prison capacity. Public safety is best measured by fewer victims and less recidivism, not by the number of prison beds Hawaiʻi constructs. | Yes. I am committed to ending Hawaiʻi’s long-term dependence on private, out-of-state prisons and bringing our incarcerated residents home through a responsible, phased, and transparent plan. | Yes, I support the carefully targeted decriminalization of certain low-level, nonviolent offenses when criminal prosecution and incarceration cause more harm than they prevent. However, “nonviolent” should not automatically mean harmless. Fraud, theft, exploitation, property crimes, and repeated conduct that victimizes others may be nonviolent but still require meaningful consequences. For appropriate offenses—particularly conduct connected to poverty, substance dependence, mental-health challenges, homelessness, or technical violations—the State should consider civil penalties, diversion, treatment, restitution, community service, and supervised programs instead of jail. Accountability should remain, but incarceration should be reserved primarily for people who present a genuine danger to others or repeatedly refuse reasonable alternatives. | My priorities are to reduce unnecessary incarceration while keeping the public safe and holding violent and repeat offenders accountable. Jail and prison should be reserved primarily for people who pose a genuine danger to others, not those detained simply because they cannot afford bail or those whose underlying problems could be addressed more effectively outside prison. I support expanding diversion, mental-health and substance-use treatment, restorative-justice programs, and community supervision for appropriate nonviolent cases. I would also reduce incarceration for technical probation and parole violations when no new crime has been committed, while improving supervision and access to services that help people succeed. Preventing crime must be part of any serious decarceration strategy. That means lowering the cost of living, raising the standard of living, and improving the economy. It also includes encouraging diets with less plant-based foods and more meat. Together, these steps can help create conditions that strengthen families, improve education and employment opportunities, address homelessness and addiction, and support programs that intervene before people enter the criminal-justice system. When people can afford housing, nutritious food, and stable livelihoods, they are better positioned to make healthier life choices, which can reduce stress, improve mental health, and decrease the likelihood of entering the criminal-justice system. There is growing discussion, including research cited by Dr. Georgia Ede, about the relationship between diet and mental health, underscoring the importance of access to nutritious, affordable food. For those leaving custody, Hawaiʻi should improve reentry support, including identification, housing, employment, treatment, and family reunification. Reducing recidivism is one of the most effective ways to reduce incarceration over the long term. The goal should not be to meet an arbitrary numerical target. It should be to create a fairer, safer system that uses incarceration only when necessary, addresses root causes, and gives people who have served their sentences a meaningful opportunity to rebuild their lives. |
69 | Bulla Eastman | State House | HD 24 | Yes | I support bail reform that keeps low‑risk, nonviolent neighbors from being jailed just because they’re poor, while ensuring judges can hold truly dangerous offenders and chronic no‑shows to protect our community. | I fully support prison expansion in Hawaii. | No | Yes | My top priorities for reducing incarceration focus on changing who the individuals lock up, how long we keep them there, and what support people get before and after contact with the justice system, while keeping communities safe. Our challenge is our current system needs to get realigned and a full commitment to a rehabilitative process. Having ministered in every facility and Saguaro 33 times I am very familiar with the challenges the department faces. |
70 | Janel Fujinaka | State House | HD 26 | Yes | Yes. I support balanced bail reform that protects public safety while ensuring fairness in our justice system. Decisions about pretrial release should be based on the risk a person poses to the community and the likelihood they will appear in court, not simply on their ability to pay. Violent offenders should be held accountable, while low-risk individuals should not remain in jail solely because they cannot afford bail. | I support investing in safe and secure correctional facilities when necessary, but I do not support wasteful spending on new prison expansion when we have failed to properly maintain existing infrastructure. We should be fixing and restoring our eroding facilities to ensure clean, safe, and secure environments that treat people with dignity and respect. Public safety requires accountability, but also rehabilitation, mental health care, and reentry support that reduce recidivism and strengthen our communities. | Yes | Yes | My priorities are prevention, diversion, and real reentry success. We cannot jail our way to safer communities. I support expanding mental health and addiction treatment, housing stability, education, and job pathways that stop the cycle before it starts. I support smart sentencing, diversion for non-violent offenses, and bail and pretrial reform that reduces unnecessary incarceration while keeping serious offenders accountable and our communities safe. |
71 | Robyn McCreary | State House | HD 26 | My top priority is to prevent crime before it happens. I support better mental health care, addiction treatment, job training, and education to help people make better choices. I also support rehabilitation programs that reduce repeat offenses while keeping our communities safe. When people succeed, families are stronger, neighborhoods are safer, and fewer people end up in jail. | I support bail reforms that improve fairness while keeping our communities safe. I don't believe there is enough evidence yet to support broad changes that could put public safety at risk. I will continue to follow the research from Hawaiʻi's Criminal Justice Research Institute (CJRI) and support reforms that are proven to reduce crime, protect victims, and treat people fairly. | I support replacing old and unsafe correctional facilities with modern ones when they are needed. I also support programs that help prevent crime, improve mental health, treat addiction, and reduce repeat offenses. We do not have to choose one or the other. We can protect public safety while also investing in stronger, healthier communities. | Yes. I believe inmates from Hawaiʻi should serve their sentences here whenever it is safe and practical. Being closer to family and support programs can help with rehabilitation and make it easier for them to successfully return to our communities after they are released. We should have safe, modern facilities that allow Hawaiʻi to care for its own inmates. | I support looking at non-violent offenses one at a time, not making broad changes. Some people may benefit more from treatment, education, or job training than from jail. At the same time, we must protect public safety and make sure people are held accountable for their actions. I will support programs that are proven to reduce crime and help people become productive members of our community. | My priority is to reduce crime before it happens. I support better mental health care, addiction treatment, job training, and education to help people make better choices. I also support rehabilitation programs that reduce repeat offenses while keeping our communities safe. I will continue to support policies that are proven to lower crime and help people build better lives. |
72 | Tony Silva | State House | HD 26 | Yes | Yes. I believe people who are let out on Bail need to be more accountable. | We are way behind on this. We definitely need this. Especially the expansion or another site for our Mentally disturbed Community. | I am if we can find viable solutions and cost effective ways to do so. | I would be in support providing we have some ways that would be beneficial to our public. | Build up our Fathers in Various Communties. Train them, encourage them, walk with them, educate them and give them a sense of belonging in the Family, city, and beyond. Build the Father and family up the children will follow. Starts with Dad. |
73 | Anthony Nagatani | State House | HD 28 | Yes | Yes, with guardrails. Nobody should sit in jail because they're poor. But reform has to be honest about public safety, not pretend the tension away. Here's the problem it solves. Two people, same charge. One posts bail and goes home to their job and family. The other can't make $500, so they lose the job, maybe the apartment, maybe custody, all before a conviction. Same alleged crime, wildly different punishment, and the only variable is money. That's not justice. That's a wealth test. So where I land: End cash bail for low-level, nonviolent offenses. If someone isn't a flight risk and isn't a danger, a judge shouldn't be able to hold them just because they're broke. Release with reminders and support, which actually gets people back to court. Keep judicial discretion for serious and violent cases. This is where a lot of reform debates go sideways. I'm not for a blanket rule that ignores real risk. A judge should still be able to weigh danger to the community and hold someone when the facts warrant it. Reform means ending the wealth test, not ending judgment. Fund the follow-through. Court reminders, transportation, and pretrial services. The data is clear that support gets people to their court dates far better than a cash threshold does. If we skip the infrastructure, the reform fails and hands ammunition to everyone who wanted it to. The honest version: cash bail punishes poverty, not danger. Fix that. Keep the tools for genuine risk. Fund the part that makes it work. I'd want to know the specifics of any Hawaiʻi bill before committing to a vote, but that's the principle I'd bring to it. | We're about to spend a fortune replacing OCCC. The real question is how big, and whether we've done everything to need fewer beds before we pour the concrete. Here's where I land. The old jail has to go. That's not the debate. OCCC is decaying, overcrowded, and inhumane. Nobody serious is arguing to keep it as-is. A replacement is coming. But size is a choice, not a given. A jail is mostly full of people awaiting trial who haven't been convicted of anything. Bail reform, faster case processing, and real pretrial services shrink that population directly. Build for the population we'll have after those fixes, not the one we have because the system is slow and cash bail holds poor people. Build too big and you guarantee you'll fill it, because capacity has a way of becoming a quota. Divert the people who don't belong there in the first place. A huge share of the jail population is mental illness and substance use. Jail is the most expensive and least effective place to treat either. This ties straight to my position on behavioral health: I support mandatory treatment, but only paired with actual beds and clinicians. Build that capacity and you need fewer cells. Skip it and you're just warehousing sick people at maximum cost. Location and reentry matter. Keeping people near family and services cuts recidivism. A facility built only for security, miles from anyone's support system, makes people more likely to come back. So, yes to replacing a failing jail. Skeptical of building it oversized. And insistent that we fund treatment and pretrial reform first, because the cheapest bed is the one you didn't have to build. Spend the money on beds we'll actually need, and on the care that keeps people out. | Yes | Yes | The cheapest cell is the one you never had to build. That's the whole philosophy. Here's where I'd put the effort, roughly in order of impact. 1. Stop jailing poverty. Cash bail holds people who aren't dangerous, just broke. End it for low-level nonviolent offenses, keep judicial discretion for real risk, and fund pretrial services so people make their court dates. Most of our jail population is pretrial, not convicted. Fix this and the numbers drop immediately. 2. Treat mental illness and substance use as health problems, not crimes. A huge share of people cycling through are sick, not dangerous. I support mandatory treatment, but only paired with real capacity: beds, clinicians, follow-through. Jail is the most expensive and least effective place to treat either. Build the care and you need fewer cells. 3. Decriminalize and divert. Non-violent offenses driven by poverty or addiction don't belong in the system. Move those people to services, and move the savings into prevention. 4. Fix reentry so people don't come back. Housing, jobs, and staying near family are what stop recidivism. Someone released to nothing, with a record that blocks work and an apartment they can't get, is being set up to return. Bring the Saguaro men home, because 3,000 miles away from family makes all of this worse. 5. And the upstream one. Address the conditions. Poverty, housing instability, and untreated illness feed the pipeline. A family that can afford to stay housed and fed produces fewer people in crisis. Which comes back to the pipes and the cost of living, the same throughline as everything else. Build less jail. Fund more care. Attack the causes. That's how the rate actually falls. |
74 | Ernest Caravalho | State House | HD 28 | Yes | I support responsible bail reform, but public safety must always come first. We cannot have a system where dangerous repeat offenders are released back into our communities and put our families, businesses, and neighborhoods at risk. Judges need the ability to keep those who are a serious threat to public safety off the streets. At the same time, we must make sure that someone who has been accused of a crime is not held simply because they cannot afford bail. Our justice system must be fair, but fairness cannot come at the expense of the safety of our community. The goal should be a balanced approach: protect victims, support law enforcement, hold offenders accountable, and make sure nonviolent individuals have a fair opportunity to move through the legal process. As a candidate for State House District 28, I will always put the safety of our residents first while working toward a justice system that is fair, responsible, and accountable. | I believe Hawaiʻi must take a responsible approach when it comes to prison and jail expansion. Our priority should be keeping our communities safe, but building more beds alone will not solve the problems we face. We need to address the root causes that lead people into the criminal justice system, including addiction, mental health challenges, homelessness, and lack of opportunities. At the same time, violent offenders and repeat criminals must be held accountable and kept away from our communities. Before spending hundreds of millions of dollars on new facilities, we need to make sure we are investing in prevention, rehabilitation, treatment programs, and support systems that help people turn their lives around and reduce repeat offenses. If additional correctional space is needed, it must be done responsibly, with proper oversight, humane conditions, and a focus on public safety, not simply expanding incarceration as the only solution. As your representative for State House District 28, I will support policies that protect our residents, support law enforcement, and create real pathways for people to rebuild their lives while holding those who threaten our community accountable. | Yes | I support a responsible approach to correctional facilities in Hawaiʻi. Expanding prisons and jails alone will not solve our public safety challenges. We must prioritize accountability for violent offenders and repeat criminals while also investing in addiction treatment, mental health services, rehabilitation, and programs that reduce recidivism. If additional correctional space is needed, it must be done responsibly with proper oversight and a focus on protecting our communities | My priority for reducing incarceration rates is to focus on prevention, accountability, and addressing the root causes that lead people into the criminal justice system. We must expand access to addiction treatment, mental health services, job training, and opportunities that help people rebuild their lives and avoid returning to crime. At the same time, we must hold violent offenders and repeat criminals accountable to protect our families and communities. Reducing incarceration should not mean reducing public safety. It means making sure we are using our resources wisely, helping those who can be rehabilitated while keeping dangerous individuals off our streets. As your representative for State House District 28, I will support solutions that create safer communities, strengthen families, support law enforcement, and reduce repeat offenses. |
75 | John Mizuno | State House | HD 29 | Yes | Yes, one that saves taxpayers money from paying the costs of jail for people charged with minor crimes and ensuring that violent crimes allegedly committed by the individual places them in a safe setting. | Instead of building more prisons or jail expansions in Hawaii, we really need to focus on rehabilitation with mental health and substance dependency professionals supporting our inmates. We need a better support system which will work on a return-to-society plan with housing for our inmates. | Yes | Yes | Too many of our people are incarcerated because of their mental condition and/or substance dependence many of whom are houseless. We need to make revolutionary changes to our justice system to ensure many non-violent people are rehabilitated, assisted with housing and adequate mental health and substance dependency treatment. This will save significant taxpayer costs and help place people back in society focused on helping that person secure housing and a job. |
76 | Daisy Hartsfield | State House | HD 36 | Yes | I support bail reform but the courts should maintain discretion in ordering cash bail. If a defendant has a history of non-appearance to court hearings, is a repeat offender, already on probation or parole, or charged with a Class A or B felony offense, then those circumstances should be taken into consideration when determining whether to order cash bail. | I do not support sending prisoners to facilites outside of the State. I do believe we can reduce the jail and prison population if there is reform in the criminal justice system. I also support community treatment/support programs to prevent pretrial custody and to decrease recidivism of those on probation and parole so that jail expansion is unnecessary. | Yes | yes, but cannot be automatic and need consider individual factors of each defendant | For jails - improve pretial policies so that less people need to be in custody pending trial. For misdeamor sentences, consider alternatives to jail and considert supervised release/furlough with wrap-around services for support with transition back to the community. For prisons, look at policies related to setting the minimum sentence and parole policies to see if wrap-around services for support with transition back to the community is available for early parole, consider compassionate release. If policies are improved, it is possible to reduce rates of incarceration but it would take a collaborative effort between the Judiciary, Prosecutor's Office, Public Defender's Office, Hawaii State Bar Association, law enforcement agencies, and the Department of Correction and Rehabiliation (includes Hawaii Paroling Authority). |
77 | Maurice Morita | State House | HD 36 | Yes | SUPPORT. We need to keep the non-violent cases from our crowded prisons and find a way to distinguish between violent vs. non-violent cases. | Instead of expanding our prisons, for example, with drug cases, we should provide these drug addicts with more help to get them out of their drug addicts. Currently we spend more money on these prisoners vs. in educating our children. it should be the other way around. | I am undecided on this matter. It depends on what type of prisoners we are sending to Arizona to help our crowded prisons. | Yes | We must distinguish between who should be incarcerated. For example, someone who breaks a TRO, may be locked up and require a bail. We should be concern why the TRO was violatted, etc. Incarceration should be for individuals who pose a clear and imminent threat to the public, specifically those who commit serious, violent, or chronic offenses.Prison should be a last resort, we need to emphasize rehabilitqtion and community base alternatives for non-violent crimes. |
78 | Maurice Morita | State House | HD 36 | Yes | YES-Bail reform generally replaces traditional cash bail with risk-based assessments. Supporters argue this promotes a fairer system where pretrial freedom is based on danger to society rather than a person's wealth. Opponents, however, contend these policies can tie judges' hands and allow repeat offenders to be released. | AGAINST: We must expand pretrial services, accelerating the shift to risk-based bail assessment, and properly funding diversion programs to naturally decrease the jail population rather than building more beds. | Yes | Yes | Priorities for reducing incarceration focus on comprehensive criminal justice reform, promoting a fair and effective system. Core priorities include: 1)Sentencing Reform: Re-evaluating mandatory minimum sentences and reducing sentence lengths so they are proportional to the crimes committed. 2)Diversion and Alternatives: Diverting individuals—especially those with mental health or substance use issues—away from the prison system and into community-based treatment programs. 3)Pretrial Justice: Moving away from cash bail systems so that detention prior to trial is based on safety risks rather than an individual's wealth. 4)Re-entry Support: Expanding vocational training, education, and transitional housing to help formerly incarcerated individuals integrate into society and reduce recidivism. |
79 | Corey Rosenlee | State House | HD 39 | Yes | Yes. We must work to end mass incarceration in our society, which, as the author Michelle Alexander has noted, is nothing more than the new Jim Crow. Numerous studies have shown that poverty is the primary driver of legal violations. Rather than keeping people behind bars for being unable to afford bail, we should eradicate crime by meeting people's financial needs. Our state's extremely high rate of pretrial detention, which at some facilities exceeds 70 percent, undermines the integrity of our commitment to restorative justice. Wealthy people can afford to pay bail when they are arrested, even for very violent crimes. Impoverished people, on the other hand, are often kept in jail for minor offenses because they can't afford to pay amounts that are sometimes less than $100. Keeping financially vulnerable people in jail simply because they can't afford bail is a form of economic, and often racial, discrimination. | Instead of building new jails and prisons, we should invest funding in high-quality medical and educational institutions to give people the access to basic services and economic opportunities that prevent crime from occurring. If we build a strong social safety net that provides a robust continuum of care for those in need and deliver the schools our keiki deserve, we won't need to spend our limited state revenue on corrections facilities. | Yes | Yes | I support reforming our bail system, especially for nonviolent offenders, so we are not keeping people in jail simply because of their financial challenges. Additionally, I believe we should establish a timeline in state law to bring home inmates in private prisons, where they can be closer to family members and their communities. Finally, I support clean slate initiatives that automate the expungement of arrest and conviction records for nonviolent offenders, so people are able to obtain second chances at a healthy life without being constantly burdened by the social and financial consequences of past decisions. |
80 | Danny Degracia | State House | HD 39 | Yes | Yes. As a libertarian, I believe that the 8th Amendment is a critical tenet of our United States of America and the founding fathers were concerned not only about the price of bail but the practice of using bail as a means to engage in oppression, intimidation, and unlawful incarceration. I believe in the presumption of innocence and putting an innocent person in jail simply because they cannot pay to be released is reprehensible to the fabric of a free society. | As a libertarian, I am concerned that we are becoming a "prison industrial complex" both in Hawaii and across the United States of America. This is cancerous to a free society. We need to find ways to end mass incarceration because not only does it destroy communities and vulnerable populations, but it is extremely costly to the state. | Yes | Yes | As a libertarian and a program specialist with the Hawaii State Department of Health Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Division, I believe that we need to look upstream at social determinants of health such as employment, education, housing, healthcare, food access and other issues. I want to deal compassionately and humanely with this issue and do not believe in the concept of locking people up and throwing away the key. I also think that there are too many excessive laws and we need to walk back incarceration for victimless crimes and find other ways to rehabilitate people. The Bible says in Isaiah 61:1, "The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is with me because the Lord has anointed me to deliver good news to humble people. He has sent me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to announce that captives will be set free and prisoners will be released." That is justice. We should seek to find ways to be a more compassionate, forgiving, and humane society. |
81 | Anthony Makana Paris | State House | HD 42 | Yes | Yes. I support bail reform because money bail cages people who cannot afford detention and turns poverty into punishment. In Hawaiʻi, including across West Oʻahu and in House District 42, the criminalization of poverty is visible when people are jailed simply because they cannot pay bail, and pretrial detention becomes a trap that breaks families and disrupts access to counsel and services. Bail reform should reduce unnecessary pretrial incarceration and expand meaningful community-based support for people awaiting trial, especially for Native Hawaiian individuals and families who are disproportionately impacted at multiple points in the system. | I do not generally support expanding traditional jail or prison capacity. Instead, I support rehabilitation facilities that strengthen treatment and reentry so people can successfully return to their communities. I advocate for an approach that shift away from incarceration as the default response to homelessness, poverty, and substance use. Expanding jails and prisons does not address the root causes and can worsen instability, especially for Native Hawaiian and homestead communities that already face greater systemic disadvantage. I support investing in housing supports, mental health care, substance use treatment, and prevention and early intervention so fewer people are funneled into the criminal legal system in the first place. I also support updating and expanding rehabilitation capacity, and creating pathways that allow inmates abroad to return home. | Yes | Yes | I advocate for ending the cycle of incarceration driven by poverty by prioritizing bail reform and alternatives, so people are not jailed simply because they cannot afford money bail. I advocate for decriminalizing survival and homelessness-related behaviors, including opposing “sit/lie” style bans and other approaches that criminalize unsheltered people without solving the underlying housing crisis. I support investing in housing and health instead of punishment by expanding prevention and early intervention, strengthening mental health care, improving substance use treatment, and funding culturally grounded stability and recovery supports for Native Hawaiians and homestead communities in House District 42 and across West Oʻahu. I support equal access to counsel and courts regardless of wealth, ensuring meaningful due process and ending detention based on inability to pay. I advocate for removing financial-penalty practices that trap people in the criminal legal system, including ability-to-pay barriers like license and registration stoppers and other punitive enforcement that funnels people into the system. I advocate for community safety through support-based, community-led approaches that reduce harm and recidivism, grounded in human dignity and in what works for Hawaiʻi’s families, including Native Hawaiian communities. When incarceration is unavoidable, I advocate for reducing the harm of dislocation by improving transition planning so people can return to their communities with real support for housing, employment, and healthcare, including connections that sustain ʻohana and cultural wellbeing. I also support accountability focused on outcomes, measured by reductions in jail and pretrial detention, increased success in diversion, and improved access to services for the people most harmed by the criminalization of poverty. Mahalo for the opportunity to share. |
82 | Amy Perruso | State House | HD 46 | Yes | Yes. We are too often criminalizing poverty rather than addressing actual public safety risks. People should not remain incarcerated simply because they cannot afford bail while wealthier individuals accused of similar offenses can purchase their release. I support evidence-based bail reform that uses validated risk assessments, judicial discretion, and appropriate conditions of release to protect community safety while reducing unnecessary pretrial detention. We should reserve detention for people who present a genuine risk to public safety or are unlikely to appear in court—not for those who are simply poor. | Hawaiʻi should not respond to complex social problems simply by building more prison beds. Before expanding correctional capacity, we have an obligation to reduce the number of people who unnecessarily enter or remain in custody. My priority is to invest in strategies that have been shown to reduce incarceration while improving public safety: expanding diversion programs, increasing access to treatment, strengthening parole and reentry services, reducing unnecessary pretrial detention, and investing in supportive housing. We should also modernize our correctional facilities to provide humane conditions, effective rehabilitation, and evidence-based programming for those who must be incarcerated. Any long-term correctional planning should be driven by a goal of reducing recidivism and successful community reintegration—not by assuming incarceration rates will remain high indefinitely. | Yes | Yes | Reducing incarceration requires strengthening the systems that prevent people from entering the criminal legal system in the first place while improving the support available to those returning to our communities. My priorities include expanding access to mental health and substance use treatment, investing in diversion and restorative justice programs for appropriate cases, reforming pretrial practices so people are not jailed simply because they cannot afford bail, and significantly increasing access to stable reentry housing, education, workforce training, and employment opportunities. Research consistently shows that housing, treatment, meaningful work, and strong family and community connections are among the most effective ways to reduce recidivism and improve public safety. I also believe we should use data to evaluate what works, invest in evidence-based practices, and focus our correctional system on rehabilitation and successful reintegration rather than simply punishment. Ultimately, the safest communities are those that address the underlying conditions that contribute to crime while ensuring accountability, supporting victims, and helping people successfully rebuild their lives. |
83 | Daniel Michael Gabriel | State House | HD 46 | Yes | What is bail reform? If you commit a crime that requires detention, you are required to post bail via your own money or through a bondsman. If you do not want to be required to post bail, do not commit crimes. | We need to have the necessary resources to jail and retain individuals that are a threat to our civilized society. I am not an expert in the field of criminal justice, but if we are at capacity then perhaps more facilities need to be built. If you are a threat to the safety and well-being of our general public, you do not deserve to be walking the streets. There is something to be said about the prison industrial complex. Although I am for a free market that encourages competition and innovation, I believe there are some industries that should not be in play for profit generating businesses. I do not believe that companies should be operating prisons in a for profit business model. It should be a state activity as a part of its effort to provide a safe environment for our general public, but it must be transparent and accountable to the people. | Are they from here? How many of them are transplants or overseas criminals placed here with an intent for evil doing? | This a very broad question. There are many non-violent crimes that heavily affect people within the community. This can only be answered in a very detailed case-by-case, crime-by-crime analysis. For example, someone dealing crystal meth to the community of drug users may not be committing a violent crime, but those direct actions could lead to the commission of a violent crime. Example two, someone committing identification theft, although non-violent, will negatively affect an innocent person in the community. Therefore, that criminal should not be out free, walking our streets. | We need to stand by the laws that are already on our books and behind those that are employed to enforce those laws. It is imperative that we keep offenders accountable in order to reinforce the fact that if you commit a crime, you will be detained and held responsible by the State and those affected by that crime. |
84 | Jesse Weston Matthews Fitzgerald | State House | HD 50 | Yes | Yes I support bail reform as it incarcerates those that are poor while those with money can buy their freedom. America and the Philippines are the only two countries that have a cash bail system. Innocent until proven guilty is only for those with money and enriches the bail bondsmen system and burdens the taxpayers. | We need to tackle the root causes of crime which is poverty and the mental illnesses that go along with it. The systemic and intergenerational trauma caused from dispossession and the resulting broken family structure. Jails and prisons should focus on mental health treatment, job training, and incorporate therapeutic activities like music, art and schooling, into their structure. | Yes | Yes | We need to create resilient families and communities with Medicare for all, legalization of Cannabis, higher wages, greater unionization across all industries, we need to create agricultural revitalization projects to create land based jobs, to tackle the root cause of crime which is poverty, a manufactured form of violence and the mental illness that results. |
85 | Frederick Fogel | State Senate | SD 2 | Yes | Yes - it is always possible to make things better. There are alternatives to bail that may be more appropriate in some situations. | Prisons should be mainly for the people who are a threat to society. Reducing the incarcerated population would put less stress on space. Reopening some prisons would also help. | Yes | The sentence should be up to the judge/jury. | Rehabilitation and improving the family unit and basic education. |
86 | Tanya Yamanaka Aynessazian | State Senate | SD 2 | Yes | Yes. Cash bail criminalizes poverty. Someone accused of a minor offense can sit in jail for months awaiting trial simply because they can't afford $500, while a wealthy person accused of a serious crime walks free the same day. | No on expansion; especially not a $1B jail before fully pursuing proven alternatives that reduce incarceration that reduce incarceration, including bail reform, mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing stability and community based rehab programs. | Yes | Yes | Bail reform, mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing stability and community based rehab programs. We should also be prioritizing preventing crime and reducing recidivism. |
87 | Carol Fukunaga | State Senate | SD 11 | Yes | Yes, my PSM Committee and I supported SB 2730 during the 2026 sesssion as one means of reducing overcrowding at OCCC. | I support reducing the number of prisoners held in out-of-state private prison facilities and worked hard to help pass HB 1769 during the last session. I also have urged Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation to implement the recommendations of the HCR 85 Task Force Report (adopted in 2018) and the 2025 proposals from the UH Design Center for a rehabilitation-oriented facility. | Yes | Yes | High priority: our Senate PSM and HWN Committees endorsed the Hawaii Correction Oversight Commission's recommendations for moving eligible prison inmates into lower security facilities like Kulani and Waiawa correctional facilities. Both of these two facilitiese have large percentages of unused beds that have been reported by the Oversight Commission. |
88 | James Logue | State Senate | SD 13 | Yes | Yes, I support smart bail reform. No one should sit in jail just because they’re poor while someone with money can pay their way out for the same offense. That’s not fair. At the same time, we can’t let it become a revolving door for violent or repeat offenders. I believe we should use risk-based decisions that actually look at someone’s danger to the community, their history, and whether they’ve failed to show up in court before. We also need stronger pretrial services—like court reminders, supervision, mental health support, and addiction treatment—so people get the help they need without compromising public safety. Growing up in a home affected by domestic abuse and substance abuse, I’ve seen firsthand why we have to protect victims while also addressing the root causes that pull people into the system. | I do not believe Hawaiʻi should simply build more prison and jail beds without first addressing why so many people are entering and returning to the system. Expansion alone is expensive and does not solve homelessness, mental illness, addiction, poverty, trauma, or lack of opportunity. I support investing in treatment, reentry, job training, housing support, education, and diversion for appropriate nonviolent cases. However, I also believe we must protect the public from violent and repeat offenders. The goal should be fewer people entering jail, fewer people returning after release, and safer communities. Any facility plan must be transparent, cost-effective, humane, and focused on rehabilitation, not just warehousing people. | Yes | I support reviewing certain low-level, nonviolent offenses where criminalization is not improving public safety and may be making poverty, homelessness, addiction, and mental health problems worse. For appropriate cases, we should use diversion, treatment, community service, restitution, job training, and supportive services instead of jail. However, this should not apply to violent crimes, domestic abuse, sex offenses, serious property crimes, or repeat offenders who continue to harm the community. Prevention works when it is paired with accountability. We should focus resources on stopping crime before it happens, helping people stabilize, and holding dangerous offenders accountable. | My priorities are prevention, treatment, accountability, and reentry. First, we must invest in youth programs, education, mentorship, workforce training, and family support so fewer young people enter the system. Second, we need real access to mental health care, addiction treatment, domestic violence services, and stable housing. Third, we should expand diversion and treatment courts for appropriate nonviolent cases while holding violent and repeat offenders accountable. Fourth, we must improve reentry with job training, IDs, housing support, counseling, and family reunification. Finally, we need transparent data on arrests, pretrial detention, sentencing, recidivism, and program outcomes so taxpayer dollars support what actually makes communities safer. |
89 | Jordan K. Nakamura | State Senate | SD 13 | Yes | Hawai'i incarcerates people at a higher rate than almost any democratic country on the planet, and taxpayers are spending over $300 per person per day for each person jailed. These are mostly pre-trial holdings, people who are legally innocent, and only held behind bars because they cannot afford bail. This contributes to the overfilling of our jails, the unfair financial burden on taxpayers, as well as allowing discriminatory treatment of those who simply cannot pay bail. We need to end cash bail to eliminate these outdated, costly, and institutionally hazardous conditions and practices. | I am opposed to spending the proposed $1 Billion allocation to fund a new jail. Using 10% of the annual budget is not a justified use of funds, which will likely be much more expensive than stated in this budget proposal, and we know it won't can cannot address the root cause of the problem in the first place: unnecessary overcrowding. Refocusing funds on preventative measures to incarceration would contribute to a reduction in overcrowding as would the elimination of an antiquated cash bail system. Without addressing these fundamental root causes, when it comes to prisons and jails: if we build it, we will fill it. We want to be creating and filling jobs and local dignified homes, not jails and prisons. | Yes | Yes | I agree we need to reduce incarceration beginning with the decriminalization of certain non-violent offenses that do not reasonably benefit from removing people from society through incarceration. We need to commit to targeted funding for smarter crime reduction programs like drug treatment courts, restorative justice initiatives, and community-based supervision which are proven to reduce incarceration and crime rates. I'd also focus on the root causes of crime like the lack of economic opportunity and access to services, and support funding for a thriving diverse economy that provides dignified jobs for more locals, comprehensive mental health services, training, and staff, focusing on forward-thinking designs for social housing and mixed use units that Hawai'i desperately needs to build lasting local community approved residency that is actually affordable. I'd push for steps toward free public education and job training for all, which are shown to be effective preventative measures against incarceration and recidivism. |
90 | Lei AHU ISA | State Senate | SD 13 | Yes | Yes, need reform worked on | New Prison | Yes | Yes | N/A |
91 | Christy Kikue MacPherson | State Senate | SD 14 | Yes | Yes. This is a matter of justice and equity. | We need true reformative justice, not jail expansion. Our incarcerated citizens are currently living in uninhabitable conditions. | Yes | Yes | We need to look at the economic and environmental systems that lead to people being incarcerated. They are responding to societal stressors. There needs to be a balance of accountability and rehabilitation in our carceral system and under humane conditions. We can certainly do way better as a state and introduce and pass legislation that puts more resources into programs like counseling, workforce development, and civic engagement for incarcerated individuals. |
92 | Nani Brown | State Senate | SD 17 | Yes | I support fairness in our justice system especially in regards to how much money someone has and dependent on their charges and however we may get there including bail reform. | I am against the cop city and the jail expansion. | Yes | Yes | Decriminalizing poverty for one. For two, more programs for youth to cut them off at the fork of their lives and get them to use their talents for good. I started the building maintainence class and taught it at Youth Challenge for 2 years(kokua). I started and direct "Garden Club" for Pre-K -5th grade giving them a connection to 'āina(also kokua) and I truly believe positive alternatives will reduce crime and therefore encarceration. |
93 | Inam Ikeda Perreira Rahman | State Senate | SD 19 | Yes | Yes. I support responsible bail reform because pretrial decisions should be based primarily on a person’s risk to public safety and likelihood of appearing in court—not simply on their ability to pay. Judges should retain the authority to detain individuals who pose a serious danger to the community or present a significant flight risk. Low-risk individuals should not remain in jail solely because they cannot afford bail. I support risk-based assessments, judicial discretion, strong due process protections, and alternatives such as supervised release, electronic monitoring, and court reminders when appropriate. The goal is a fair system that protects public safety, respects constitutional rights, reduces unnecessary incarceration, and uses taxpayer resources more effectively. | I believe Hawaiʻi should focus on reducing crime and recidivism rather than simply expanding prisons and jails. Our priority should be preventing incarceration through effective mental health and substance-use treatment, diversion programs for appropriate nonviolent offenders, education, job training, and strong reentry services. At the same time, we must maintain safe, secure, and constitutional correctional facilities and ensure there is adequate capacity for individuals who commit serious violent crimes and pose a threat to public safety. Any prison or jail expansion should be based on demonstrated need, cost-effectiveness, and evidence—not as the first solution. The goal should be a smarter criminal justice system that protects the public, holds offenders accountable, reduces repeat crime, and makes responsible use of taxpayer dollars. | Yes | Other: I support decriminalization or diversion only for appropriate nonviolent offenses when supported by evidence and when it improves public safety. Violent offenses and crimes that endanger others should remain criminal offenses. Savings should be reinvested in mental health, substance-use treatment, education, job training, housing, and other proven prevention programs that reduce crime and recidivism. | My priorities are to reduce unnecessary incarceration, lower recidivism, and reserve incarceration for individuals who pose a serious threat to public safety. That means expanding diversion programs for appropriate nonviolent offenders, improving access to mental health and substance-use treatment, investing in education, job training, stable housing, and other evidence-based prevention programs, and strengthening reentry services that help people successfully return to their communities. At the same time, we must hold violent offenders accountable and ensure victims and public safety remain our highest priority. The goal is a smarter, fairer criminal justice system that reduces crime, lowers repeat offenses, and makes responsible use of taxpayer dollars. |
94 | |||||||||
95 | |||||||||
96 | |||||||||
97 | |||||||||
98 | |||||||||
99 | |||||||||
100 |