Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 6, 1 Iune 2005 — Inmates abandoned [ARTICLE]

Inmates abandoned

This is in regards to Sen. Clayton

Hee's article (April KWO) about Richard Bissen's confirmation as a Circuit Court judge. To learn that Bissen, a former prosecutor, was found to have committed multiple instances of prosecutorial misconduct was alarming to say the least. I agree. No person is entitled to a seat on the court. Moreover, if a nominee cannot "clearly satisfy" the Senate without any reservations, the people of Hawai'i should not bear the risk of entrusting that individual with the reins of judicial power. However, you, the people who speak for the people (the Senate and Gov. Lingle), elected Bissen as the interim director of the state Department of Public Safety. As our government, you entrusted him with the reins of Hawai'i's inmates? Now I question Bissen's decision to not move the 80 Hawai'i female inmates in hopes of securing their safety. Again Bissen proves his laek of leadership, in my opinion. Had it not been for the encouragement of Kat Brady and the persistence of The Honolulu Ad.vertiser reporter Kevin Dayton, the eommunity would never have known of the unsafe conditions our women are being forced to live in. Now the state of Hawai'i is standing by and allowing five Hawai'i female inmates, still incarcerated in the Brush Correctional Facility in Colorado, to be prosecuted under Colorado law. It seems to me that this is a slap in the face to all Hawai'i inmates that the governor, lieutenant governor and Bissen have abandoned these 80 Hawai'i female inmates, yet again! They have left these women to fend for themselves in a world they did not choose to be in. I reiterate the opinion of Supreme Court justices Marshall, Brennan and Stevens. The justices observed that a person convicted in Hawai'i then transferred to a mainland prison "has in effect been banished from his home, a punishment historically considered to among the severest." Jacqueline Aloha Overturf Kailua, O'ahu OHA reserves the right to ed.it eill letters for length, d.efamatory and. libelous material, and. other objectionable content, and. reserves the right not to printciny submission. All letters must be typed, signed anel. not exceed. 200 words. Letters cannot be published unless they include a telephone contact for verification. Send letters to Ka Wai Ola o OHA, 711 Keipi'olani BlvcL, Ste. 500, Honolulu, HI 96813, or email kwo@oha.org.