NCJ Number
181367
Date Published
1998
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Juvenile correctional reform in Hawaii is examined in terms of longstanding criticisms of the State's only training school, the involvement of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as the catalyst for reform, and the planning and design of smaller facilities for secure custody and community-based programming.
Abstract
A 1986 management audit of the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF) concluded that the facility was lacking in almost every respect, that juvenile justice agencies offered neither real treatment nor punishment, and that they operated a warehousing operation for juveniles. The involvement of the ACLU with Hawaii's adult correctional system became the catalyst for reform in the juvenile corrections system. A potential lawsuit by the ACLU led to agreement by the newly created Department of Corrections to have a nationally recognized juvenile justice consultant evaluate the facility. A subsequent report by the National Center on Institutions and Alternatives recommended limiting secure custody beds and contracting with a private provider to obtain placement for youths not requiring secure custody. The Hawaii State legislature also created the Hawaii State Office of Youth Services (OYS) to manage juvenile corrections. These and other developments have moved Hawaii to the brink of reform of its juvenile corrections system. Family court judges support the initiatives of the OYS and are using restraint in commitments to the HYCF. The State is now beginning the most significant reform of its juvenile corrections system in its history. Reference notes