HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0177.118 1998-2000Mr. Chairman, Honorable Council Members, good evening
My name is David Heaukulani. 1 am hereto request your opposition to any cuts to the HIPAL RECEIVED
youth sports program under the Hawaii County Police Department. nme 7—
L/Gto It x11.i--•---
I am a retired assistant chief of police from the Honolulu Police Department. One of my County Council/
responsibilities in the Police Department included the Police Activities League youth sports programs.
I have also received a Ph.D. degree from UH Manoa in criminology from the Department of Sociology.
Many of my academic research studies included juvenile delinquency and intervention programs as a
crime prevention process. I have attached to this testimony one of my studies in prison overcrowding
Based on my personal observations in the PAL program and empirical data on juvenile
delinquency diversion programs overall, this program works and provides value beyond its cost. It is my
professional opinion that if the funding for the HIPAL program is cut, the impact will be felt long after
this debate is over. The money that is removed from the program now will only have to be budgeted later
at a higher rate to pay for increased juvenile crime. The proposed HIPAL budget cut is about 100,000
dollars. This amount is the cost for two prison spaces. There will be significantly more than two
additional prison spaces needed in the future if you cut this successful diversion program for kids -at -risk,
those who are exposed to the social factors associated with criminal value systems. If you cut this
program now with the number of kids going through the program currently, ten percent will end up in
trouble, and ten percent of that will end up in prison. Since the Big Island has the highest rate of
sentencing, as indicated in the attached study, the planned prison of 2,000 plus beds for the Big Island
will not be enough.
Don't let a successful juvenile crime diversion program die. If I had one percent of the earning
capacity for every adult who came out of the housing projects in Oahu who attributed part of their success
in life to the PAL program it would be a considerable amount. Just talk to some of the professional
football players of Samoan ancestry from Hawaii.
The HIPAL youth sports program is not for every kid. It is there for the kids -at -risk, those kids
who have many things in common. One of those things in common is membership in a disadvantaged
socioeconomic group. Academic research indicated that kids in this group reject the values of the
dominant culture and seek the company of those who share the same cultural values. They find that
comfort zone in the HIPAL program, in the gym, and on the ball field. More significantly, they cannot
afford the $40 fee to join the County basketball program at Andrews Gym, or the $35 fee to join the
Waikea Pirates or any organization where there is an expense on a limited budget.
Another key factor in the HIPAL success formula is the role models of police officers and
countless volunteers. The normal anti -police and anti-establishment found in this kids -at -risk group
dissipates in a fun -by -association process. Once they experience the fun, they get a civic lesson in
discipline, self-respect, respect for others, and respect for the property of others. Once they get into this
structured program these kids absorb the structure and the discipline which then transfers into their home
life and their school work. There is one girl who returned to HIPAL basketball that she loved after she
pulled up her grades - - her mom pulled her out of basketball earlier because of grades. Isn't that what we
all expect from our kids and from a concerned parent? In another example, if you could have witnessed
the tete-a-tete between a HIPAL girl and a staff member of the Boys and Girls Club, the home of Hilo's
HIPAL, that I saw yesterday, a mixture of mutual respect and adult tojuvenile interaction at its best, you
would understand. But those who choose to cut this funding certainly do not understand. It doesn't take
a Ph.D. in criminology to figure this out. It's not rocket science.
Comm. No.
File No. B U S%
R(e. ToPresented c_ovN�.4_ /. H.
Rc i. Date
It should be noted that there are kids in the HIPAL program who certainly can afford other
....d who a o..fofiaro -f+ho A—:+ n�Jh�.nl a h� Thio io a,i.le __ ♦h..♦ UTDAI ., the
programs and w11 are r"a"o aw ua un. uvu uuuw a.wawm
N � ctnwwwauo ao caaw waa aui moi. iu uic
Big Island is more successful in attracting a broader base of kids than the Honolulu program which
focuses heavily in low income housing projects. This blend of kids translates into the transmission of
acceptable values by association at peer group age levels that is reinforced by the police officer role
model and discipline system in its youth sports program.
But they are there because their parents see the success of the program. I suggest that if
anything, you ask those parents who can afford it to help with the HIPAL budget. There is a group called
Friends of HIPAL over in Kona trying to organize as a non-profit to get involved in fund raising. Let
those who benefit from the program try to salvage it in some way.
Raising funds by private groups is one answer. But what about looking at other line item
expenditures and cut something that does not provide tangible value or service. I certainly understand
the economic reality of the county's budget crunch but as a former ranking police officer who had control
of a police budget seven times the size of Hawaii County Police Department's budget I know where to
trim the nonessentials. I'm not in the shoes of the Police Chief nor do I want to second guess his budget
decisions. But if I were chief, I know one major operating expense that can be reduced and the savings
can be allocated to HIPAL. There would even be some leftover for DARE. It's a major operating
expense reduction that would not impact services to the public, would not affect the crime rate, and would
not indirectly contribute to juvenile crime increase. However, I'm not going to tell you what it is. You
already have people on government payroll to make budget analyses and decisions. All it requires is a
shift in a paradigm. In handling taxpayer's money in the past, I learned one thing about government
expenditures - - they give money away to consultants. I'm for hire. No, I'm just kidding. But I will
tell my secret formula to council member Eliaranoff in closed session because he once wore the badge
and would appreciate the economic wisdom of the proposal.
In closing, I want to point out that I firmly believe in HIPAL and what it does for our kids-at-risk.
For I was in that kids-at-risk group once upon a time; a native Hawaiian, in poverty, a single parent
mother, hating cops and school teachers, and taking it out on the affluent society. My cousin went to
prison for armed robbery, my brother got picked up for burglary, and as the youngest of the gang, I was in
line to inherit the fruits of our labor. Fortunately, a police officer took me to the PAL gym and put boxing
gloves on me and turned me loose to compete and realize I can achieve any goal I set for myself. And
that's why I am a volunteer coach for one of the youth sports at the Hilo HIPAL. If you support cutting
this program and letting it die, I will go on to something else to give back to the community. But I will
worry about what our unsupervised kids will be doing. Don't you think we all should be concerned
about their welfare? These children deserve any bit of help that we as a small concerned community can
give them. It was not their choice to be in the social circumstances that determine their fate. Please
don't let them down. I urge you to oppose any effort to discontinue the funding for HIPAL.
Thank you.
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2 SOCIAL PROCESS IN HAWAII
Planners in [tie Uorrections 1>cparuncnt had Ilmr accurate estimates of (erre
rrunmc popula[inns. fpr plan rcporft•d a ptojectc(I illoMW population of 1,970
adults ter file I'M5!86 fiscal year (DcparUnent of Social Services anti housing,
19821 As notal in 'l ahlc I ;rbov the actual mean annual headcount for fiscal
yem 1985/86 was repotted at 1.921. 'file projections were uncannily accurate.
However, the fundinft wppmt to maintain those projections was not forthcoming.
i:ven lite funding for the new mecliun) security facility was cut in half. II' the
new facility tsas conslructcd according to the rated capacity of the initial plan,
the current uo"%ding problcn) would probably not exist.
CONCLUSiON
The ob.cnations of this paler represent an attempt to examine sonic of
'he popular assnn)ptinns atfrihuted to Prison overcrowding as it relates to the
Hawaii problen). 'file selections were made by a subcon)n)illee of the
r'otrections Task Force appointed by the Governor. These assunflit ions itic lude(I
rime. Police and prosecutor activity, denuOgrahhics in terns of age, sex and
race, econon)ics relative to unen)ploynlent, sentencing patterns, and planning by
.oi ections administrators.
Slalistieally significant correlations can he obtained between the crime
listribution and the annual mean innate population. Depending upon the years
,elected for the crin)e figures, positive or negative correlations can be observed.
lIlere is support for the Austin and Krisherg hypothesis that crime decreases as
finale population increases if the correlation is made for the six-year period
rfter fiscal year 1978/79 when the overcrowding began. It is not supported if
he correlation is observed for an 8 -year or 12 -year period that includes the years
,r for to, and after, the overcrowding.
I he observation between police activity and inmate population indicates
PI)sitive correlation. Although the incidence of crime decreased after 1980, the
)ohce activity continued to increase. A high positive correlation between adults
crested and charged and the innate population was observed for the First
udicial Circuit which represents approximately 80 Percent of the crime activity.
The activity of the Ilonolulu Prosecutor's Office was examined because
he assumption was made that the "get tough" policy of that Office may have had
if impact on the inmate population. The return of hue hills from the grand jury
luring the new prosecutor's first tern) of office clic not, in any particular year,
each the highest level of the previous prosecutor's last tern) in office. There
.as a low inverse correlation between true bills returned and the increase in the
nn)ate population.
lifeatiku mi PRISON OVERCROWDING
'Ile examination of (Icillog,raphic data tends to replescnt the sane tteml
that is observed in the United States. 'I he at risk population of n).tles, arcs 20
29, represent the majority of incarcerated felons. if race is used as a variable,
the I tawaii observation indicates that I lawaiians/hart- Ilawaiians and Samoans are
, -risk as compared to Blacks in other areas of the United States. Race should
not he considered as an independent variable because socioeconon)ic status has
been shown to be the significant determinant that is correlated with crime and
the Polynesian group.
The unen)ployn)ent assumption does not appear to be related to the
imliate population increase. As unemployment decreased in the state overall, the
innate population increased. This inverse correlation goes against the trend of
thought because the popular explanation states that poverty breeds crime and the
increase in crin)e will he reflected in increased incarcerations.
Sentencing patterns indicate that judicial discretion can have an adverse
effect on the number of persons incarcerated. in a comparison between the
Second and "Third Circuits, the Second Circuit had a higher level of probation
dispositions over incarcerations. Conversely, the Third Circuit had a higher
level of incarceration dispositions over probation. Moreover, the Second Circuit
had a higher caseload of Part 1 offenses. If all things ate equal under the law,
sentencing patterns should he consistent in all Circuits.
Finally, the planning process of the Corrections Division for the
Department of Social Services and (lousing cannot he faulted for not anticipating
the innate population crunch. Accurale estin)ates were made for the decade of
1980.
This is not to say that fault or responsibility should he singled out. The
problem is complex and the responsibility to resolve it can he shared by all.
There are multiple reasons for the overcrowding problem (See The Edna
McConnell Clark Foundation, 1982). This paper represents a cursory analysis
of some of the popular reasons that are espoused. Futther research into
differences in the sentencing patterns between Judicial Circuits is recommended.
NOTES
1. The ACA standard of 60 square feet per inmate bed space area is ieinforced by at least one
court oiling, i.e., Pit,sh v. Lo(k, 406 F.Supp. 318 (M.D. Ala. 1976) aft -d as modified 559
F.21) 283 (5th Cir. 1977).
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