County Council considering giving $31K to Teen Court

LIHU‘E — After learning last week that the contract between the county and Hale ‘Opio’s Teen Court had expired, Kaua‘i County Council Chair Jay Furfaro introduced Wednesday a bill to appropriate $31,000 to fund the long-standing youth diversionary program.

The council unanimously approved Bill 2456 at first reading. It is now referred to the council’s Committee of the Whole and scheduled to public hearing on Nov. 28.

Hale ‘Opio has been operating since 1976, and started Teen Court in 1995, according to Hale ‘Opio Executive Director Laverne Bishop, who said last week the nonprofit was willing to take youth referrals despite not having a current contract.

From 1995 until 2007, the Kaua‘i Police Department made referrals to Teen Court, Bishop said last week. When County Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho was elected in 2008, the Office of Prosecuting Attorney took over making referrals, according to Bishop.

Since April, OPA has stopped referrals to Teen Court, except for a small window during which two referrals were made. Communication from the program coordinator at the state Office of Youth Services that there was a violation in the contract with Hale ‘Opio caused OPA to halt referrals.

However, OYS Director David Hipp has said the state agency did not direct OPA to stop referring youth to Teen Court, and blamed the confusion on the inexperience and age of OYS Program Coordinator Christopher Lum Lee, who had told OPA that for what he knew so far, there was violation with the contract.

The bill proposes to appropriate the amount from the county’s Other Post Employment Benefit account.

After going through committee, the bill will be up for second and final reading, tagged with a recommendation from the committee.

• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.