STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1716

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 198

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 198 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS TO CONVENE STAKEHOLDERS OF NATIVE HAWAIIAN-CULTURE-BASED HOOPONOPONO SERVICES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is request the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to convene stakeholders on capacity building, training, and the perpetuation of hooponopono in order to strengthen integrative public safety programs that can incorporate Native Hawaiian values, practices, families, and communities into public safety and other appropriate state government programming.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Ho‘omana Pono, LLC; and four individuals.

     Your Committees find that Native Hawaiians have been overrepresented in the criminal justice system.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs documented this overrepresentation in a 2010 report entitled "The Disparate Treatment of Native Hawaiians in the Criminal Justice System."  Your Committees further find that the Native Hawaiian Criminal Justice Task Force recommended, among other things, in its 2012 report that the State recognize and support community efforts to promote indigenous cultural models of restorative justice proven to be effective in rehabilitation.  Traditional Native Hawaiian practices such as hooponopono have demonstrated effectiveness in offender rehabilitation, as well as in community education, individual and public health, and family therapy.  The Office of Hawaiian Affairs works toward improving the condition of Native Hawaiians through research, direct services, programs, community outreach, education and training, prevention programs and services, and policy recommendations grounded in Native Hawaiian values and beliefs.  Therefore, your Committees find it suitable that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs convene cultural organization representatives, integrative service providers, and traditional practitioners alongside state governmental authorities to determine methods of incorporating Native Hawaiian practices and values into public safety and other government programs.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 198, and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair