HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	170
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

requesting the department of human services' office of youth services and juvenile justice state advisory council to examine the availability and utilization of aina-based learning programs offered to youth in the juvenile legal system.

WHEREAS, research shows that charging fees, fines, costs, and restitution to youth is harmful to young people and their families; and

WHEREAS, in Hawaii, the consequences of such costs fall disproportionately on Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and African-American youth, who are more likely to be arrested, detained, and unable to afford fees, fines, costs, and restitution; and

WHEREAS, youth involved in the juvenile justice system are frequently ordered to complete hours of community service in lieu of court costs; and

WHEREAS, in Hawaii, typical community service opportunities do not give youth a chance to connect back with their culture and the land, preventing rehabilitation and healing; and

WHEREAS, this disconnection from culture increases the likelihood of intergenerational trauma and recidivism; and

WHEREAS, aina-based learning is grounded in teaching and learning through aina, which encompasses the land, ocean, air, and all living things; and

WHEREAS, aina-based learning offers an opportunity for minors to carry on the practices of their kupuna, strengthening families and communities; and

WHEREAS, through aina-based approaches, learners can deepen their relationships with the natural environment, cultivating connections with their communities and building critical skills that can be applied to real-world issues; and

WHEREAS, the majority of organizations utilizing aina-based learning are not-for-profit organizations eager to support youth; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii has already committed to providing aina-based education and stewardship opportunities to youth through the Aloha+ Challenge; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii can do more to refer youth to organizations employing aina-based learning to complete community service obligations; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, that the Department of Human Services' Office of Youth Services and Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council are requested to examine the availability and utilization of aina-based learning programs offered to youth in the juvenile legal system; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Human Services' Office of Youth Services and Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council are requested to create and disseminate a list of organizations employing aina-based learning that the courts may use to assign community service to minors in the family court system; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Services, Executive Director of the Office of Youth Services, and Chairperson of the Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Office of Youth Services; Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council; Aina-based Learning Programs; Juvenile Legal System