TESTIMONY SENT IN BY OHANA HOOPAKELE ON SCR 120: Legislators, wake up! Prisons are not working! Why continue to support what you know is not working? Spending money on prisons is a bottomless hole! The public does not want anything that smells of PLDC! Take note of the following: • On February 15, 2012 Treena Shapiro wrote a story for the Associated Press on the Pu`uhonua bill [Senate bill (SB3016)]. Do you know that eighty-two (82) media reports were carried in thirty-seven (37) different states in the U.S. plus Washington, D.C.? Why did so many different states cover an article of a Pu`uhonua or a Wellness Center? It was because all of these states know that prisons are not working! All eyes are upon Hawai`i to show a model that works at healing pa`ahao. • Do you know that Attorney Eric Holder held a press conference on August 12, 2013 saying that federal prisons were “warehousing the most vulnerable members of society”? He has taken steps to eliminate Mandatory Minimum Sentencing for those not in gangs, not in prison for violent crimes, and not on the top level of drug-dealing. Even he knows prisons are not working! • Hawaiians had working Pu`uhonua that worked; Pu`uhonua can work today at healing Pa`ahao. Build Pu`uhonua, not prisons! • Look at our Ohana Ho`opakele website at ohanahoopakele.org and see our “Kahea (Call) to Support Pu`uhonua as an Alternative to Prison.” It has 1946 signers that include the majority of Hawaiian cultural practitioners, many religious leaders including all of the Justice and Witness Ministries staff of the United Church of Christ, more than 90 Pa`ahao at Saguaro prison, political leaders including Senator Daniel Akaka, Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Mayor Billy Kenoi, past mayors Dante Carpenter, Harry Kim, Lorraine Inouye, Senators Will Espero, Russell Ruderman, Laura Thielen, Brickwood Galuteria, Ex-Senators Pohai Ryan, John S. Carroll, Norman Sakamoto, Whitney Anderson, Representatives Sharon Har, Ken Ito, Chris Lee, John M. Mizuno, Calvin K.Y. Say, Marcus Oshiro, Georgette Jordan, Roy Takumi, Ex-Representatives Marilyn B. Lee, David Hagino, the late ex-Lt. Governor Jean King, Councilmembers Gary Hooser, Ikaika Anderson, Ex-Councilmembers Donald Ikeda, Fred Blas, Dominic Yagong, DHHL Commissioners Renwick Valentine Tassill, Michael Kahikina, Wallace Ishibashi, Gene Ross Davis, Kama Hopkins, Leimana Damate, Ex-commissioners Ian Lee Loy, Perry Artates, Director William J. Aila Jr., Deputy Director Gary Gill, OHA trustees Oswald K. Stender, Carmen Hulu Lindsey, Ex-OHA trustees Mililani B. Trask, Clarence Ku Ching, Moanikeala Akaka, Walter Ritte, OHA staff John K. Rosa, Leona M. Kalima, Ex-OHA staff Stephen Morse, Wardens Peter McDonald, Neal Wagatsuma, DPS staff Martha Torney, ex-warden Glen Hisashima, Hawaii County staff Wally Lau, Jane Horike, Ex-Hawaiian Caucus Chairs Joseph Lewis, Lela M. Hubbard, Prosecutor Mitch Roth, Ex-prosecutor Jay Kimura, Ex-warden David Winett, Lawyers Myles S. Breiner, Carrie Ann Shirota, Lorenn Walker, Kevin Block, Lanny Sinkin, Robert Merce, Tom Yeh, Alan T. Murakami, Lei Kihoi, Kali Watson, Georgette Yaindl, Professors Williamson Chang, Liam Skilling, Marilyn Brown, Sarah Marusek, etc. Stop spending money on prisons! Turn to Pu`uhonua to heal pa`ahao! Enough already! Keep the Prison-Industrial Complex out of Hawai`i!
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 11:13:11 +0000