LIHU‘E — By request of Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar, the Kaua‘i County Council transferred $18,694 in funds from Keiki POHAKU, a teen-diversionary program initiated by former Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho, to the long-standing Hale ‘Opio’s Teen Court. “I want to make
LIHU‘E — By request of Prosecuting Attorney Justin Kollar, the Kaua‘i County Council transferred $18,694 in funds from Keiki POHAKU, a teen-diversionary program initiated by former Prosecutor Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho, to the long-standing Hale ‘Opio’s Teen Court.
“I want to make sure it’s not a political reason why (Kollar) wants to move the funds,” said Councilman Ross Kagawa at a council meeting Wednesday, adding that he would go with the majority if the outcome would be better for Kaua‘i’s children.
Kapa‘a resident Glenn Mickens said the council spent about 30 hours discussing funds for POHAKU, which stands for Productive Optimism Helps All Kaua‘i Unite, last year, and he asked that other grants be handled in the same manner for consistency’s sake.
Prior to POHAKU, Mickens said, he “saw nothing but rubber stamping.”
Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura said she believes Mickens’ concerns were legitimate. She added Teen Court, unlike POHAKU, is a “very well-established” program nationally and statewide.
“And I actually supported the purpose of the POHAKU project, which was early diversion,” said Yukimura, adding she hopes the council still looks at innovative programs.
“But I think that Teen Court is an ongoing program that needs this kind of support.”
Councilman Mel Rapozo supported the transfer of the funds, but said Keiki POHAKU was never given a chance.
“Keiki POHAKU was a restorative program, and incorporated a lot of cultural aspects to our kids, which is what we have lost,” said Rapozo, adding that many teens have lost touch with their Hawaiian heritage and the values that the program was trying to instill.
Teens listen better to kupuna, or the elderly, rather than a Teen Court judge or a council member in a nice aloha shirt, he said.
“Sometimes we have to step outside of the box,” Rapozo said. “That was an opportunity, and I believe one that was lost.”
He said he also had concerns that Teen Court does not count as recidivism if a teen commits a theft and later assaults someone. In the same token, Teen Court does not take second-time offenders.
“And that is the gap that we’ve got to fill,” said Rapozo, adding that second-time offenders are falling trough the cracks, and being put back into the community they have violated.
Yukimura said she wanted to make clear she supports innovative programs, and well-planned, well-implemented culturally based programs can make a “big difference” among teens. The problem with Keiki POHAKU, she said, was the “lack of actual planning.”
Kagawa said his concerns, “not to beat a dead horse,” were with the timing last year of the discussion on “POHAKU versus Teen Court,” which happened prior to the elections.
“It just seemed that it would work out well for the anti-Shay folks to put down her program,” Kagawa said.
Now that the elections are over Kagawa said he just wanted to make sure the programs the council chooses are best for the teens.
What he has heard from the teens is that the consequences of Teen Court were quite easy, he said, and if the consequences are not severe enough, they look at it as joke and are not worried about going through the program again.
At one point, Kagawa said, he would like to have Kollar before the council to answer questions regarding Teen Court and an alternative to POHAKU.
The council unanimously approved the transfer of funds.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-0452 or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.
