Five organizations that support and advocate for incarcerated people are hosting the free Hui Ho\u02bbiwai\u00a0Reentry\u00a0Summit on March 20 and 21 in Honolulu, with some sessions available virtually.<\/p>\n K\u016bk\u0101k\u016bk\u0101 (discussion) and workshop topics include: Justice reform, culturally-based interventions, Ho\u2018okanaka (be someone) process, reducing recidivism, reimagining reintegration, decarceration, impact on \u2018ohana, healthcare options and trauma-informed recovery.\u00a0<\/p>\n The summit is the joint effort of the newly formed working group Hui Ho\u02bbiwai, consisting of Men of PA\u2018A, \u2018Ekolu Mea Nui, Going Home Hawai\u2018i, Papa Ola\u00a0L\u014dkahi and the ACLU of Hawai\u2018i.<\/p>\n The summit is taking place in Honolulu at the Ala Moana Hotel on March 20 and at Caf\u00e9 Julia on March 21. To see the full agenda, click here<\/a>. To register for in person attendance or virtual sessions, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hui Ho\u02bbiwai\u00a0strives to shine the light on the power within our communities and fights to end the dehumanization of incarcerated people. The five Hui Ho\u02bbiwai organizations each push for a paradigm shift where the default is not to put people in cages for violations or offenses. <\/p>\n The reentry summit is an opportunity to build connections and foster vital discussion of these issues; see presentations on evidence-based practices; and learn from speakers with direct and lived experience about what works to enhance successful reentry.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot expect different results if we keep doing things the same way,\u201d said Iopa Maunakea,\u00a0founder of Men of PA\u2018A. \u201cThe system we\u2019ve had in place for too long does not set us up for success and it divides people. We need to believe in and invest in people coming out of the criminal legal system. It\u2019s about people helping people helping people.\u201d<\/p>\n K\u0101naka Maoli, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and African Americans are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system in numerous and damaging ways. Hui Ho\u2018iwai is working to bring lasting reform to a severely broken system. The group believes in community investment and accountability that is therapeutic and restorative, not punitive.<\/p>\n \u201cOur state continues to perpetuate a punitive criminal justice system,\u201d said Dr. Jamee Miller, co-founder and president of \u2018Ekolu Mea Nui. \u201cIt is like a trap. Once you\u2019re in it\u2019s very difficult to get out \u2013 even for the \u2018model\u2019 incarcerated person. Once out, navigating reentry has its own challenges. It\u2019s time we embrace the tools and wisdom of our kupuna and shift to a pono system where true healing through native Hawaiian practices can occur.\u201d<\/p>\n Les Estrella, president and CEO of Going Home Hawai\u2018i, said reentry is not just about helping any one person transition successfully, but about caring for the community itself. <\/p>\n \u201cProviding services to help people succeed puts them on a better pathway, which is why we always say \u2018no new crime, no new victims\u2019,\u201d Estrella said. \u201cReentry services is one of the smartest investments we can make and successful reintegration is one of the most important crime-prevention tools our communities have.\u201d<\/p>\n The summit pillars are:<\/p>\n Lewis Conway, communities and coalition storyteller with the ACLU National office said, \u201cSociety must embrace the reality that 95 percent of the people currently in prison are coming home, and we have to find a better way to onboard them back into our families, our neighborhoods and our communities.\u201d<\/p>\n For\u00a0information\u00a0on\u00a0participation\u00a0and\u00a0tabling\u00a0opportunities\u00a0at the summit, please contact Monica Espitia at\u00a0[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.mauinow.com\/file\/mauinow\/2022\/03\/Hui-Hoiwai-1024x576.jpg\")
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