Page 6 - MidWeek Windward - March 1, 2023

6
MARCH 1, 2023
One of the most com- mon concerns I’ve encountered while
dened justice system, vic- tims often feel steamrolled and neglected when they are forced to relive their trauma over and over again, endur- ing seemingly endless con- tinuations. Those who have suffered from crime deserve better.
“Restorative justice is a concept that has revolutionized correctional justice worldwide.”
any time. The Crime Pre- vention and Justice Caucus voted to include these bills as one of its top three priori- ties for the 2023 session, and at the time of this writing, the Senate version — SB903 — has already overcome its first major hurdle by passing in the Senate Judiciary com- mittee.
this. With a restorative jus- tice program in place in ev- ery county, we can reduce crime, reduce repeat of- fenses, reduce penal system costs and increase victims’ healing and well-being. Join me in supporting HB585 and SB903, and follow me on social media (@repnhb) for updates on these bills and others.
Contact state Rep. Nata- lia Hussey-Burdick (District 50 — Kailua, Kāne‘ohe Bay) at 808-586-6480 or rephusseyburdick@capitol. hawaii.gov.
speaking to the people in our Windward community is criminal activity targeting our people and our business- es — far too often perpetrat- ed by offenders with multi- ple prior convictions. Since taking office, I’ve been busy crafting, introducing and co- sponsoring several bills de- signed to address this prob- lem. My top priorities are to curb repeat offenses and, as far as possible, help victims of crime feel whole again.
Restorative justice is a concept that has revolu- tionized correctional justice worldwide. On the Big Is- land, the Hawai‘i County Prosecutor’s Office has an excellent restorative justice program, primarily funded through Federal Victims Of Crime Act grants. Programs
like these have been proven to reduce repeat offenses, significantly reduce court backlogs and, most impor- tantly, the victim-centered approach has been found to give victims of crime a greater sense of satisfaction than what our current broken criminal justice system is able to provide.
new, bipartisan, bicameral Crime Prevention and Justice Caucus to introduce HB585 and SB903 — “Relating to Restorative Justice.” These bills build on the success of the Hawai‘i County pro- gram by expanding it to our remaining islands. Because participation is voluntary, victims are empowered to start or stop the process at
This much is clear: The Windward community is asking lawmakers to take action to address crime in our neighborhoods, and we know that the correctional system as it exists is poor- ly equipped to accomplish
STATE REP. NATALIA HUSSEY-BURDICK
Curbing Windward Crime With Restorative Justice
In our current overbur-
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