HFRJ ANNUAL REPORT 2021
Aloha Friends,
In 2021 most of our events and trainings were provided via Zoom. In August we received major funding for a higher and continuing education program for imprisoned women. It includes training and supporting incarcerated women to be GED tutors for their less educated peers. So far 9 women passed the GED after only 10 weeks of tutoring! This is a major improvement for the prison where only three women on average passed the GED annually, and where the average grade level for an incarcerated person is only 5-6th grade. Mahalo Robyn Pfhal, Daniela Vargas and Diana Bethel for your help with this project. We also continued to provide services in person and online to federal court defendants in the Kapilipono pilot program. Our family law clinic continues serving imprisoned women thanks to the leadership of Dawn Slaten, Esq. In spite of the pandemic, Jeanie Lum managed to provide as many restorative justice services as possible to elementary and secondary schools. The HFRJ Innovative Speaker Series continued via Zoom and featured Phil Zimbardo who created the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, and anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean who wrote Deadman Walking. Our 13th annual Parole Completion Celebration was online again this year. We provided a study group for imprisoned women who read Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for meaning and Pema Chodron’s When Thing Fall Apart. We took part in the Women’s Prison Project, published three academic papers, and have two others currently being peer reviewed. We provided information and took part in virtual presentations all over the world. Last, but not least, we welcomed and appreciated two wonderful interns: Kellogg Business School Northwestern University, MBA student Midori Rankliff and Swarthmore University, undergraduate student Hannah Humphreys. Mahalo for your support!
Love & aloha, Lorenn
January 1, 2022
13th Annual Parole Completion Celebration 2021
ACHIEVEMENTS & GOALS MET in 2021
1. Received funding and began Higher & Continuing Education Pilot Program for women in Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC) education program
2. Restorative & solution focused monthly sessions for Kapilipono federal court pilot program provided
3. Family law clinic for women imprisoned at WCCC provided
4. Hosted inspiring speakers for online Innovative Speakers Series
5. 13th Parole Completion Celebration that First Lady Dawn Ige, Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald and many others participated in
6. Provided engaging 12-week book club for imprisoned women
7. Participated in Women’s Prison Project advocacy project to de-carcerate women in Hawai‘i
8. Continued working with public schools to assist them with adopting peacemaking practices, “whole RJ schools” and solution focused approaches
9.Three academic papers published and two more submitted
10. Helped provide two workshops to address racism, and one that included truth and reconciliation process practice
11. Held a four-day workshop to train Adult Friends for Youth staff on solution-focused and RJ practices
12. Collaborated & assisted others with research and learning about restorative justice and solution focused approaches
DETAILS OF ACHIEVEMENTS
- Higher & remedial education program for imprisoned women in WCCC: Formerly incarcerated women who are educated can provide unique perspectives to improve our legal and social systems. This pilot Higher and Continuing Education program at the Hawai‘i state women’s prison was funded for one year and is a team effort of WCCC, Windward Community College, College of Social Sciences University of Hawai‘i and McKinley Community School for Adults and led by HFRJ to:
i. Trained and supported five incarcerated women to be GED tutors for less educated peers and within 10 weeks the tutors assisted 6 women pass GEDs
ii. Find ways to maintain Windward Community College courses at WCCC and help Chaminade University of Honolulu and Hawai‘i Pacific University provide more classes
iii. Provide 20 college correspondence courses for women at WCCC who cannot take in person classes or who have exhausted the courses provided there; and
iv. Provide reentry and transition planning, and support for women to continue their education post-incarceration.
So far over $35,000 in educational support (with more to come) including computers, college correspondence courses and text books have been provided for the women.
From far left Malina Kaulukukui WCCC kumu hula, First Lady Dawn Ige, Momilani Cody tutor receiving her certificate of completion & Hawai‘i Supreme Court Associate Sabrina McKenna October 2021
2. Provided restorative & solution focused monthly sessions for Federal court pilot program: We are contracted to provide services to Federal court defendants in the Kapilipono pilot program including provided cognitive behavioral treatment with solution-focused and restorative approaches. We designed the curriculum and started providing the sessions in 2019. For this period, we provided 6 people with circles (one defendant’s spouse was also provided with a circle) and in total 35 people attended the circles.
Pono Shim, a beloved Hawaiian cultural expert, and the chief executive officer of the O‘ahu Economic Development Board, named this US District Court of Hawai’i’s pilot program: Kapilipono. According to Shim the name signifies the program’s goal and purpose by combining two Hawaiian words: “kapili” or “[t]o build. . .mend, fix, repair” and “pono” or “[g]oodness, uprightness, morality. . .excellence, well-being, equity. . .just. . .[and] fair” (Hawaiian Dictionary, Mary Kawena Pukui & Samuel H. Elbert (1986). Shim says: “Kapilipono was chosen because it inspires to latch or crutch, erect, or lift up” (Walker, Kobayashi & Lum, in press). HFRJ provides restorative justice and solution-focused skill building for the people in the program.
The Kapilipono pilot program is a described in detail in a paper in press by United States District Court for the District of Hawai‘i Judge Leslie Kobayashi, Jeannie Lum, Phd., and Lorenn Walker. The University of Idaho Law Review is expected to publish the paper in 2022. Please contact [email protected] for a draft.
3. Family law clinic for women imprisoned at Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC): Since 2011 HFRH has continued providing the family law clinic that we developed for women incarcerated at the state women’s prison (WCCC). At least 100 women a year incarcerated at the state’s women’s prison are getting family law needs (child custody, divorces, guardianships, powers of attorney, adoptions etc.) met with this program. No other entity provides these legal services for the women. Most of the cases concern child custody and divorce that are vital for the well-being of the women and their families.
Dawn Slaten, an experienced family court lawyer and restorative justice facilitator has supervised the law clinic since its inception over a decade ago. Each clinic session is for an average four hours and between 12 and 23 sessions are provided at WCCC annually. The Hawai‘i State Bar Foundation (HSBF) has generously supported the law clinics for the last several years. The grant period for 2021 provided legal services for 120 women that was funded with $2000 and the remaining costs of $9,007 was provided by pro bono and in-kind donations from HFRJ. We are deeply appreciative of Dawn who has tirelessly oversees this vital legal assistance program for indigent and imprisoned women and their families.
4. Innovative speaker series. In response to the isolation, concerns and fear that the pandemic created, we developed and provided an online Innovative Speakers Series to feature creative and optimistic people working to improve the world. This year, we hosted two inspiring speakers, Phil Zimbardo who created the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, and anti-death penalty activist Sister Helen Prejean who wrote Deadman Walking–both events took donations that are helping fund our higher & continuing education program for imprisoned women in Hawai‘i. This education program has the potential to significantly increase equity and generate systemic changes to our current legal system that especially harms Native Hawaiians and other marginalized groups.
5. 13th Parole Completion Celebration: Since 2010 people who’ve successfully completed parole each year, their loved ones, and those who support them or who work in the legal system have participated in this reintegrative event held in the Hawai’i Supreme court (2020 & 2021 by Zoom). Other participants celebrating work to make justice meaningful include formerly incarcerated people, people on or formerly on parole and probation, judges, parole board members, parole and probation officers, government and private attorneys, drug treatment counselors, employers of people on parole and convicted of felonies, prison staff, and police officers. Awards are given each year at the event to honor people who worked to help others on parole and are role models, state parole officers, federal probation officers, community members who have supported people on parole including employers, innovative judges, and others who help people convicted of felonies. Criminologists John Braithwaite from Australia and a restorative justice expert, and Shadd Maruna in Ireland and a criminal desistance expert, assisted HFRJ to design this inspiring ritual that hundreds have participated in since its inception. This year First Lady Dawn Ige and Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald helped recognize our:
2021 Parole Celebration Honorees
Al Bolosan Russ Takaki Restorative Parole Officer Award
Jenny Coats Russ Takaki Restorative Probation Officer Award
Ashlee Rapp* Restorative Community Reentry Award
Steve Oshiro** Restorative Community Reentry Award
Judge Joe Cardoza Judicial Innovation and Access to Justice Award
Momi Cazimero *** Jackie Young Restorative & Social Justice Award
Noriko Namiki Patti Lyons Social & Restorative Justice Award
Malakai ‘Mo’ Maumalanga*** Posthumous Award for Restorative Work & Living
*Ashlee was formerly incarcerated and today is a full-time student at Windward Community College working two full time jobs
**Steve was formerly incarcerated and today helps others coming out of prison
***Mo was also formerly incarcerated, went to college, became a social worker, and worked for many years at Adult Friends for Youth. He was tragically killed by unknown assailants last March.
6.Book club for imprisoned women: From November 2020 – February 2021 we had the privilege of reading and discussing Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaningand Pema Chodron’s When Things Fall Apartwith eight women residing at the Hawai‘i state women’s prison. Because we provided the book club for several months before being vaccinated, we were especially careful with protective face masks and shields. The depth of the women’s understanding of how we can apply the lessons of the two books to our daily lives was remarkable. Their resilience, wisdom, and compassion help to motivate us to keep working for inclusion and equity for people often disenfranchised by the community, and we need more diversity for make better policies. Mahalo Pema Chodron Foundation for the book donations and for the 2021 financial donation to HFRJ.
7. Women’s Prison Project (WPP): A group of over 31 bipartisan women leaders in Hawai‘i including Linda Lingle, Edgy Lee, Maya Soetoro-Ng, Marianita Lopez, Joelle Kane, Margery Bronster, Lynn Babington, Colleen Hanabusa, Gae Bergquist-Tommald, Elizabeth Grossman, Denise Eby Konan, Leela Bilmes Goldstein, Ann Botticelli, Susie Berady, Denise Albano, Karen Chang, Marilia Duffles, Ardis Eschberg, Carmen “Hulu” Lindsey, Betty Liu, Laurie Tom, Meleanna Meyer, Helen Turner, Jennifer Walsh, Linda Rich, Deb Spencer Chun, Noriko Namiki, Malina Kaulukukui, Margot Sneed and Lorenn Walker have joined forces to help get the final 2019 Task Force HCR 85 recommendations, and other legal changes, implemented for women and girls in our state. (House Concurrent Resolution 85 requested the establishment of a taskforce to study effective incarceration policies to improve Hawaii’s correctional system that has been convened but not yet supported with administrative assistance by the state). WPP has the goals of reducing the incarceration of women by 50% in five years and 75% eight years.
8. Continued working with public schools in HFRJ Elementary & Secondary Schools Projects: Jeannie Lum, PhD., is HFRJ’s school program’s coordinator. In 2021 over 100 students, school staff and parents participated in projects including: Restorative Justice Circles at Farrington High School for a freshman class; Dole Intermediate School teacher & staff training on Whole School Restorative Justice Practices; Queen Ka’ahumanu Elementary School Restorative Justice Circles & Peace gardens for 1-5th graders and parents & a summer program focusing on rock gardens and Pacific Gateway Academy Restorative Justice Circles & Peace gardens for kapuna and students (targets immigrant and refugee populations). The Hawai‘i Youth Peace and Leadership Academy beginning for school age youth in Kalihi is coming soon!
9. Three academic papers on our work were published, and two more papers are being peer reviewed for publication in 2022: We submitted a paper to the Idaho University Law Review with Judge Leslie Kobayashi and Jeannie Lum, PhD to be published 2022; a paper was published on research about how the reentry planning circles increase emotional healing for family members (prior research showed how it helps children of incarcerated parents)–written by Lorenn and 2020 spring intern Anouck De Reu and published in 2021. An Exercise for Learning and Practicing Mindful Listeningwas also published in 2021.
10. We provided information and participated in numerous virtual presentations and talks for people all over the world. We started the New Year by providing a workshop for the annual Hawai’i Harm Reduction conference on how ho‘oponopono & restorative justice can help address racism with Malina Kaulukukui, MSW, and retired judge Sandra Simms. Colleagues Allison Jacobs, Marianita Lopez, Cheri Tarutani and Lorenn Walker provided a 3 hour workshop for the IVAT conference on how truth and reconciliation processes as envisioned by Fania Davis could help address racism and the harm it has caused.
11. Held a four-day workshop for people who work with involved youth. Penelope Griffith & Lorenn Walker provided a 15-hour (over 4 days) workshop for Adult Friends for Youth on how to apply solution-focused and restorative approaches for working with juveniles (and oneself)
12. Commissioned a short video on our work. LukeAssenmacher a creative videographer made a short video about our work for our website’s homepage.
13. Collaborate & assist others with research and learning about restorative justice and solution focused approaches. We hosted two interns in 2021: Midori Rankliff , MBA student from Kellogg Business School Northwestern University MBA student and Hannah Humphreys, undergraduate student from Swarthmore University.
OVERALL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
In 2021 HFRJ worked with over 500 people in the United States and abroad. This included providing education and training on restorative justice and solution-focused approaches for conflict management, providing talks about HFRJ’s work, helping individuals (including those harmed by wrongdoing and those who caused harm from engaging in wrongdoing), organizations, and government, with assistance and connections to others working in conflict management and education. HFRJ led a team to develop and provide an innovative higher and continuing education program for incarcerated women at Hawai‘i women’s prison. HFRJ’s work also led to the formation of a bipartisan group of 31 Hawai‘i professional women currently—the Women’s Prison Project is working on developing and supporting rehabilitative responses for women involved in the legal system with the eventual de-carceration of women and girls in the state.
HFRJ 2022 GOALS:
- 30 women pass GED in the the Higher & Continuing education program at women’s prison; 10 women reentering the community from WCCC are enrolled in college after their release from prison; & 20 women earn college course credits from Adams University correspondence program for the incarcerated
- Prepare a handbook with details about implementing the Higher & Continuing Education Program for other correctional institutions to help replicate in at least one other prison or jail in addition to the Hawai‘i women’s prison – likely to partner with McKinley Community School for Adults, Lance Jyo on project
- Obtain funding for the Higher & Continuing education program at women’s prison for year two – July 2022 through June 2023
- Work with WPP to prepare suggestion legislation for helpful responses that address the causes for women becoming involved with the legal system—work to get at least two bills enacted into law in 2022
- Train reentry circle facilitators available on O‘ahu and have at least 4 ready to facilitate by August 2022
- Provide 20 reentry circles for incarcerated individuals and their loved ones in Hawai‘i
- Provide at least five trainings for 50 people locally, nationally and/or internationally on HFRJ’s work
- Get the family law clinic properly funded at the Hawai‘i women’s prison – apply for state ILAF funds—our clinic at the prison has been funded to date with small contributions include pro bono, which is not sustainable and as a Hawai‘i Legal Service Provider we should be considered for ILF funds.
- Three papers are published about HFRJ’s work
2021 EXPENDITURES AND REVENUE
Total revenue received: $188,873.23: this includes funds from project grants $157,571.00 and contracted projects $30,750.00 and donations of $7,552.24
Total expenditures were $144,535.23 and the remaining balance of program funding will continue the program through the following year for project completion.
Respectfully submitted:
Lorenn Walker
Volunteer Executive Director
Hawai‘i Friends of Restorative Justice