LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i County Council last week gave its stamp of approval for the Office of Prosecuting Attorney to apply, receive and expend $220,000 in federal grants for two programs. But decision on a request to apply for $35,000 in federal grants for a youth diversionary program was postponed for a week.
The council unanimously authorized OPA to apply for $145,000 in federal funds to its Non-Compliant Sexual Offender Unit and $75,000 in federal funds for a Kaua‘i Open Drug Market Initiative.
County Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho said OPA has collaborated earlier this year with the Kaua‘i Police Department, following a concern with the amount of sex offenders failing to comply with registration requirements.
There are about 112 convicted sex offenders in Kaua‘i’s database, and approximately 25 of them were not in compliance. Some of them had not registered for about 10 years, some went homeless and others missed registration by a month, according to Iseri-Carvalho.
The amount of work carried on by OPA to gather all the information and to address the backlog of non-compliant sex offenders caused a drain in the agency’s resources, she said.
The $145,000 in federal funds would go toward funding a position at OPA to process the information about non-compliant sex offenders on Kaua‘i, ensuring that the amount of non-compliant sex-offenders doesn’t fall back to previous levels, Iseri-Carvalho said.
Council members praised OPA for clearing the backlog of non-compliant sex offenders before unanimously approving OPA’s request.
Kaua‘i Drug Market Initiative
First Deputy County Prosecutor Jake Delaplane said the Open Drug Market Initiative is a program that has been recommended across the country and has had “amazing success” in several cities on the Mainland.
The program includes identifying areas on the island where drug deals are being carried. After law enforcement gathers several pieces of evidence against someone, an arrest warrant is issued.
From then on, the program starts deviating from what law enforcement usually does, he said. Normally, a person is served with an arrest warrant and taken into custody.
“Under a Drug Market Initiative plan, instead of arresting people, we send them a letter,” Delaplane said. In the letter, the person is informed of the evidence, of an arrest warrant and of an upcoming special meeting.
In such meeting, attended by the person and his family, community leaders and law enforcement, overwhelming evidence is presented. Then everyone discusses what can be done to halt the problem. The program also involves follow-up.
The program would not be used to address violent offenders, who would go through the usual justice system, according to Delaplane.
“It sounds kinda far-fetched, it sounds like something that probably wouldn’t work very well,” Delaplane said. “But, incredibly, across the country, we’ve seen proof of incredible results.”
He said if the council wouldn’t approve OPA’s request, the agency would be willing to fund the program out of its budget.
“I like it, it sounds good and something worth a try and I like the approach that it’s addressing community,” Council Vice Chair JoAnn Yukimura said.
After hearing Yukimura’s positive remarks about the program and the need for money to fund training, Furfaro told Delaplane, “It sounds like you have a vote.”
“And we’re going to be watching carefully on how you use the money,” Yukimura told Delaplane.
Responding to Yukimura’s concerns about a potential need for a procurement for the program, Delaplane said if there is a procurement involved, it is certainly in process.
“OK, so we have your commitment to do a procurement properly,” Yukimura said.
Delaplane’s answer was, “As we always do.”
Keiki POHAKU
Decision on a third request from OPA Wednesday — to apply for $35,000 in federal funds for Keiki POHAKU — was postponed for a week.
Council Chair Jay Furfaro said he has received positive comments from the community regarding the diversionary program for youth. But the council deferred decision by a 4-3 vote to a special council meeting this Wednesday. Council members Mel Rapozo, KipuKai Kuali‘i and Dickie Chang voted against the deferral.
Councilman Tim Bynum said he had received the day before the meeting a 56-page document containing answers to questions previously asked about the program, and he was not ready to vote.
Yukimura said there are other well-established diversion programs on Kaua‘i, but no referrals have been made to teen court for several months.
“What is happening to these kids that are coming into the criminal justice system, and where are they going if they are not being referred to at least an existing diversion program?” Yukimura said. “Are they being held up so they will all be referred to POHAKU?”
Yukimura also had questions on additional costs and overtime.
“I certainly hope to defer this matter out of fairness,” she said.
Rapozo said teen court referrals stopped because the state Office of Youth Services directed OPA to stop it, out of concerns about procurement. He said it was the third time the council was told that OYS had asked for referrals to stop.
Bynum, however, said he had heard for the first time Wednesday that OYS had concerns with procurement regarding Keiki POHAKU.
“That’s brand new to me,” he said.
Furfaro agreed on supporting a one-week deferral, but no more than that.
“For two weeks, not acceptable,” he said. “I’ve gotten too much testimony from people that I’ve done business in this community with a long time who are pleased with the approach here.”
Keiki POHAKU is back on the council’s agenda this Wednesday, scheduled for 9 a.m. Kuali‘i said he will absent due to a prior commitment to attend the Annual Hawaiian Conference
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• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
