Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 17, Number 3, 1 March 2000 — Prison problem [ARTICLE]

Prison problem

The following is my mana'o on the new prison proposed by government and supported by business. I recently attended a meeting where Native Hawaiians for and against the 2,500bed facility were present. Those for

the facility felt they'd rather see it on the Big Island than see those "unable to afford good legal representation" shipped to Texas. Those Hawaiians against it were looking for a more community-based "wellness center," especially for the past, present and future Native Hawaiian prison population whieh varies from between 40 percent and 60 percent of the total. Hawaiian sovereignty advocates were on both sides of the issue. A Department of Hawaiian Home Lands employee offered homelands for the proposed facility. I thought to myself, "What a creative way to get Hawaiians on their homelands." I wish I could say I have mixed feelings on this issue, but here it is straight up. Agents of the U.S.A. participated in the theft of the livelihood of an entire people. The criminals are scott free. But Native Hawaiians are pulling time for doing the crime. America steal, it's called progress, kanaka steal, he a thief. I have a problem with the problem. As Willy Bright say, "We the evidence, not the crime." Keli'i "Skippy" loane Kings Landing Village