• The success of Teen Court • Discrimination? • Aloha spirit leaving with our children
The success of Teen Court
It was my good fortune to manage Teen Court for Hale ‘Opio Kaua‘i from 2005 to 2008. There are over 1,750 Teen or Youth Courts in 49 different states of the U.S. They are supported by the National Criminal Justice Reference Service administered by the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The NCJRS sends out information to Teen Court directors on all topics of information related to youth. This is a serious, supported and successful program nationwide.
That’s why it I believe Attorney Castillo when he says that the opinion against Teen Court was really an opinion against the projected POHAKU program, because it “demonstrated too much control of the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney in the program.” The national Judiciary System loves Teen Court! Teen Courts support the judiciary system by taking a load off of them.
Here is a website for more info: www.youthcourt.net. HOK used the Youth Court model, because we believed it would have the most impact on youth, and would also demonstrate a simplified version of going to trial. Adult Kaua‘i judges and attorneys served as the judge, but every other court character was a teen. We trained the attorneys, but the bailiff, clerks of court and jury members were juvenile offenders.
I was saddened in reading the “Tempers Flare at Teen Court Discussion” article in TGI dated Oct. 18 that only two cases have been referred to HOK since April, as speediness in facing the consequences of the crime are a huge factor in teen reoffending. I would guess that many students who committed crimes in March or April have already reoffended.
When the Kaua‘i Police Department made the referrals, the system was as smooth as buttah! KPD knew who first time offenders were. They would give the police reports to HOK. We’d contact families within the week, to see if they wanted to use Teen Court, rather than having a day in court. Nearly all said “yes,” because records would be cleared if they completed their Teen Court experience. When they were complete, we’d send notification back to KPD. If families opted out, or a child didn’t finish, we let KPD know that as well, with a note explaining what occurred. OPA would take it from there. We cleared over 300 cases a year.
I remember clearly some parents taking me aside and saying, “I wish this had been in place when I was a child. My whole life might have been different.” Shaylene, please send cases to Teen Court while you work out these details. Our children need our guidance.
Annaleah Atkinson, Kapa‘a
Discrimination?
In 1960, John F. Kennedy was the candidate for president. Many people at that time remarked that due to his Catholic religion, the Pope would run the United States. We all know that did not happen.
Today we have a very qualified man running for president who people have only referred to as “the Mormon,” without acknowledging his accomplishments.
As a two-term governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney ran the state with a balanced budget for the first time in many years. He certainly did not have a rubber stamp state legislation, but managed to get bipartisanship cooperation to get it done.
His political and business dealings are open policy, so we the citizens are aware of what is happening.
He is surrounded by friends and family that are good Americans and his background shows that he has always had a love of our precious country. Mitt has donated much time and many dollars to charitable organization, people in need and his church.
He is interested in how we as every day people are getting along and works on ways to make our lives better. He has shown that he can work with whatever group of people he needs to and stands firm in his conviction and pledge to our country.
Isn’t this the type of man we want to represent us? In this time of turmoil in the world we need Mitt Romney.
Oh, yes, about him being a Mormon, well so is Sen. Harry Reid and I’ve never heard anyone even mention that about him.
Sandi Sterker, Kalaheo
Aloha spirit leaving with our children
I heard a local news channel say that unemployment was relatively low here. One of the reasons is local people can’t find a decent job or opportunity to make a decent living. So they leave home, family, and friends, and go where there are opportunities; on the Mainland or other places.
The politicians are always touting tourism as our savior. They take more interest in them than in its own citizens. By not making headway into other directions for making us less dependent on tourism they turn us into virtual slaves to tourists.
What other jobs pays as well as direct servants to tourists? Maybe government? Yet, they talk to us about the “aloha spirit.”
The “aloha spirit” is migrating with our children, family, and friends who grew up here living the “aloha spirit.” They are leaving or not coming back home for lack of opportunities to make a decent living in what they trained for or studied for in school, military, etc.
The rest of us are virtual slaves in our own state and homes to the tourists. What happened to Kaua‘i’s economy after Hurricane ‘Iniki?
Need I say more on tourism? No vision or bold ideas by our leaders to lessen our dependence on their “one trick pony” tourism.
Until we do, unemployment will stay low due to our children, family, and friends leaving Hawai‘i to seek opportunities to live the “American dream” elsewhere, taking with them, the true and real “aloha spirit” they grew up with.
Christian Ogawa, Lihu‘e
