INTRODUCTION

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) has developed a Comprehensive Strategy for combating juvenile crime. It provides a framework for communities to identify and implement solutions to juvenile delinquency that is community focused and research based. The Plan coordinates prevention efforts with the juvenile justice system’s response to criminal behavior through a comprehensive strategic planning process that builds on and unifies the efforts of all service and program providers and integrates the full spectrum of prevention and juvenile justice efforts.

The Comprehensive Strategy is based on six general principles:

• Strengthening the family in its primary responsibility to instill moral values and provide guidance and support to children.
  
  
• Supporting core social institutions – including schools, religious institutions, and other community-based organization in their roles of developing capable, mature, and responsible youth.
  
  
• Promoting delinquency prevention as the most cost-effective approach to reducing juvenile delinquency.
  
  
• Intervening immediately and effectively when delinquent behavior occurs to successfully prevent delinquent offenders from becoming chronic offenders or committing progressively more serious and violent crimes.
  
  
• Establishing a system of graduated sanctions that holds each juvenile offender accountable, protects public safety, and provides programs and service that meet identified treatment needs.
  
  
• Identifying and controlling the small group of serious, violent, and chronic juvenile offenders who have committed felony offenses or have failed to respond to intervention and non-secure community-based treatment and rehabilitation services offered by the juvenile justice system.

The Comprehensive Strategy is based on a “risk-focused” prevention model that makes it possible to examine communities for known risk factors associated with juvenile delinquency and violence. These risk factors exist at the community, family, school, individual and peer levels. Based upon 30 years of research on factors related to adolescent problem behaviors (substance abuse, delinquency, teen pregnancy, school drop-out and violence), OJJDP identified 19 risk factors that contribute to these problem behaviors and three classes of protective factors that buffer a child against development of problem behaviors. Approaches that reduce risk factors while enhancing protective factors are likely to provide the strongest form of prevention.

RISK FACTORS FOR ADOLESCENT PROBLEM BEHAVIORS

PROTECTIVE FACTORS AND THE SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

OJJDP has identified protective factors that appear to insulate children against the effects of risk exposure. These protective factors have been grouped into three classes:

• Factors inherent in the individual
  
  
• Factors related to social bonding
  
  
• Healthy beliefs and clear standards of behavior

Protective factors are an integral part of OJJDP’s Social Development Strategy. This concept proposes that healthy beliefs and clear standards for behavior and positive social bonding modeled within the family, school and community directly encourage healthy adaptive behaviors in children. The Social Development Strategy is illustrated below:

STATE OF HAWAII

The State of Hawaii consists of an archipelago consisting of 137 islands with a total landmass of about 6,400 square miles, located approximately 2,400 miles from the West Coast of the U.S. mainland. There are seven inhabited islands, and four counties: Kauai (consisting of the islands of Niihau and Kauai), Oahu (which is both a city and a County), Maui (which consists of the islands of Lanai, Molokai, and Maui as well as the uninhabited island of Kahoolawe), and Hawaii, usually referred to as the “Big Island.” Virtually all commercial travel between islands is by aircraft. There are three governmental units in the State of Hawaii – the Federal, State and county systems.

The population of the State according to the 2000 census is 1,211,537. Hawaii is quite diverse, with no majority ethnic or racial group:

MAP OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII

COUNTY OF HAWAII

Hawaii County or the "Big Island," is the southernmost island in the Hawaiian chain. It is the youngest and also the largest with slightly over 4,000 square miles. This is roughly twice the landmass of the rest of the State combined. The southernmost tip of the Big Island is also the southernmost part of the U.S.

The Big Island is an island of great geographical diversity. Hilo on the east side of the island receives an average of 130 inches of rain per year while Kona in the west (roughly 75 miles away) receives only 25 inches annually. This is largely due to the volcanoes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa which form a mountain barrier separating the eastern and western halves of the Island.

According to the 2000 census, Hawaii County is home to 148,677 residents or about 12% of the State's population. Population distribution among the nine judicial districts within the County is as follows:

The seat of government is located in Hilo, which is on the eastern side of the island, while the majority of tourism-related activity takes place in Kona and South Kohala, on the western side of the island. East and South Hawaii in general have lower land prices than in North and West Hawaii, with income figures from the four geographic areas reflecting land prices.

Approximately 15% of homes in Hawaii County do not receive water from County or private sources but rather rely on water catchment systems and private wells. Most of these homes are in remote and/or non-conforming subdivisions, few of which have paved roads and, in some cases, commercial electrical power. Given these housing patterns, it should be clear that availability of social and emergency services is sporadic.

HAWAII COUNTY JUVENILE STATISTICS

From 1995 to 1999 the County of Hawaii has experienced a general decrease in juvenile delinquency statistics which is contrary to trends found across the United States (US). This is a noteworthy achievement given the large geographical size and relatively limited budget of the County.

The Following is a synopsis of juvenile crime and juvenile justice trends in Hawaii, which outline the current situation facing Hawaii’s juvenile facilities.

• The juvenile population (0-17) in Hawai’i County decreased two percent between 1995 and 1999. This decrease was in direct contrast to the rate of increase in the juvenile population on the national level over that time (3%) and lower than the State’s decrease (5%).
  
  
• During the same time period, overall juvenile arrests in Hawai’i County decreased substantially, by 31%. This reflected a 30% decrease in both Part I violent and property offenses. Additionally, there was a decrease (31%) in the number of arrests for Part II offenses, with notable exceptions being the increase in number of arrests for DUl (89%) and sex offenses (43%). Of notable interest was the marked decrease of narcotics related offense arrests, from 316 in 1995 to 147 in 1999 (53% decrease).
  
  
• The State of Hawai’i experienced as significant a decrease in juvenile arrests between 1995 and 1999. Total arrests decreased 28%, with Part I violent crimes decreasing 31%. In particular, there were only 2 murders in 1999, compared to 18 in 1995. Part II offense arrests saw a decrease in almost all categories, except gambling (113% increase), prostitution (167% increase), and DUl (224% increase).
  
  
• In total, juvenile arrests accounted for 21% of the total arrests in Hawai’i in1999. That was a 28% decrease from 1995. The decrease was even more remarkable in Hawai’i County. Juvenile arrests accounted for 31% of all arrests in Hawai’i County in 1995. That percentage was reduced to only 18% of total arrests in 1999. Of particular note is that overall arrests in Hawai’i County increased 19% between 1995 and 1999, while the number of juvenile arrests decreased by 31% in that same time period.
  
  
• Admissions to Hale Hoomalu, the State’s only juvenile detention center, increased between 1996 and 1998 (5%). The growth in female admissions was greater than for males (seven% versus 4%), but males made up the majority of all admissions (approximately 65% each year).
  
  
• The type of offenses for which youth were admitted changed between 1996 and 1999. Status offense admissions saw a decrease (43%) during the time period, while law violations increased by 10%, with a peak of 633 admissions in 1997 (data for 1998 is unavailable).
  
  
• The summary information of ethnicity of Hale Hoomalu admissions shows Part Hawaiian youth as the majority (36%), followed by Caucasian youth (15%), and Filipino youth (8%). The “Other” category accounts for 32%, but includes 17 ethnic categories. Caucasian youth reported the largest increase in admissions between 1996 and 1998 (26%), followed by a 10% increase for Part Hawaiian youth. The number of Hawaiian youth admissions decreased between 1996 and 1998 (8%).
  
  
• Family Court referrals between 1995 and 1999 decreased by 24%. Each of the Circuits (First Oahu, Second Maui, Third Hawaii, Fifth Kauai) reported a decrease in both law violation and status offense referrals over that time period. The only exception was a 3% increase in law violation referrals in the Second Circuit. The First Circuit accounted for the majority of referrals each year (48% in 1999), with the Third Circuit accounting for the next largest referrer of youth (25% in 1999). However, the number of referrals from the First Circuit has been steadily decreasing since 1995, with increasing referrals coming from the Third Circuit.
  
  
• The Third Circuit reported a significant decrease (37%) in law violation referrals between 1995 and 1999. Coupled with a 12% decrease in that same time period for status offense referrals, the Third Circuit experienced a total decrease of 29% in referrals to Family Court.

HAWAII COUNTY: ADDRESSING YOUTH ISSUES

The Big Island community understands the importance of providing youth with a safe and healthy environment to live in. In an effort to address some of the issues facing young people today, Hawaii County has taken a proactive approach to improving the social climate in the community. Here are a few examples of how we are trying to provide an environment favorable for the healthy development of the youth.

• Community Policing Officers working closely with community groups to identify solutions to local issues relating to public safety.
  
  
• Hui Laulima, a group of State, County, private, and community organizations who meet regularly to discuss issues facing West Hawaii. This meeting functions to facilitate the flow of information between government and the community.
  
  
• The Department of Health’s “Hawaii student Alcohol, tobacco, and Other Drug Use Study, which is produced every two years has modified the study to include the 19 risk factors identified by national research upon which the Comprehensive Strategic Planning Process is based.
  
  
• Community Empowerment Organization is the establishment of a communication network for the Big Island to address public safety issues. The goal is to facilitate the flow of information between the County government and community organizations.
  
  
• The Children’s Justice Center, which coordinates the efforts of State and County agencies along with other organizations to focus on the needs of the child victims when investigating cases and promoting a team approach in dealing with child abuse.
  
  
• Community Coalitions for Neighborhood Safety is a group of neighborhood watch groups collaborating to secure communities through citizen involvement.
  
  
• Juvenile Justice Information Sharing is a project to establish procedures and protocols to facilitate information sharing between County and State agencies.
  
  
• Establishment of a Coordinator to explore issues relating to the establishment of a Juvenile Drug Court
  
  
• Hawaii Island Anti-Bullying Coalition is a collaborative effort between State and County agencies working with private organizations to develop training and raise public awareness to the issue of bullying in schools.
  
  
• East Hawaii Coalition for Youth is a group of State, County, private, and community organizations working to build transition services for foster youth and former foster youth on the Big Island.
  
  
• Project PAU seeks to reduce access to and use of alcohol by underage persons in East and West Hawaii by increasing awareness among minors of the problems and consequences of underage drinking. PAU is also establishing community coalitions for development of community strategic plans and implementation of innovative projects.

The strength of Hawaii County’s Strategic planning process has been the support it has received from State and County agencies along with private, and community organizations. The ultimate beneficiaries of this collaborative effort will be the youth, their families, and the communities we live in. Through the Comprehensive Strategic planning process, Hawaii County will identify and prioritize issues relating to youth and to seek out innovative solutions to make full use of available resources.

HAWAII COUNTY AND THE COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY
The Vision

"EVERY YOUTH IN HAWAII COUNTY WILL BE A RESPONSIBLE, HEALTHY AND CARING COMMUNITY MEMBER”

In May 2000, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney recognized the need for collaborative effort among agencies and program and service providers to identify and address juvenile justice issues. A conference of nearly 100 individuals identified visions, goals and needed services. The enthusiasm and commitment by key government and community leaders was instrumental in taking the first step and getting the strategic planning initiative underway. Following that meeting, Hawaii County was selected as the 52nd community in the nation to receive federal technical assistance provided by OJJDP to develop a Comprehensive Strategy plan.

The next step in the process was to match each individual with a specific committee / workgroup based on their area of knowledge. The goal was to effectively utilize professional and personal experience in performing a comprehensive community assessment, which would function as the basis for goals and objectives to be identified later in the plan. The following is a list of the 7 workgroups that make up the planning body along with a with a brief description of their area of responsibility:

From May 2001 to January 2002 the workgroups met independently to complete their area of responsibility. Through the devoted efforts of many individuals, Hawaii County completed the Community Assessment Report (CAR) in January 2002. It represents a collaborative effort that involved State, County, community, and private entities that collectively realize the importance of the youth. The following timeline highlights some of the key points in the orientation and community assessment phases of the process.

TIMELINE

HAWAII COUNTY'S FOUR PRIORITY RISK FACTORS

The Data Collection and Analysis Workgroup collected data on all 19 risk factors through a process that involved evaluating the quality of the data and its causal relationship to each risk factor. The group then assigned a score based on the assessment, determining the likelihood of affecting the risk factor through Comprehensive Strategies as low, medium, or high, and finally determining in which risk factors the County most stood out from the State as a whole. The recommendations were reported to a forum consisting of the other workgroups as well as representatives of the community. A lengthy discussion ensued and a vote taken. The group agreed upon the following four risk factors, which represent a starting point for Hawaii County to begin planning strategies on a scale that is manageable and thus geared for success.

Using information contained in the CAR, along with recommended best practices for both prevention strategies and graduated sanctions outlined in the “Communities that Care” research guide from Developmental Research and Programs, Inc., and OJJDP’s “Promising Approaches for Graduated Sanctions”, the group will outline strategies to reduce delinquency related to the priority risk factors. The ultimate goal is to reduce delinquency in these areas while using outcome measures to verify the County’s progress.