Aina-Based Youth Programs.

As communities continue to clean up from the recent record-breaking Kona Low floods, the State Judiciary is highlighting new legislative efforts to pivot youth sentencing toward aina-based (land-based) principles. A series of new bills (including SB2540) encourages the use of community service programs that connect at-risk youth with environmental restoration and traditional Hawaiian agricultural practices. This shift aims to reduce recidivism while simultaneously aiding in the long-term restoration of ecosystems damaged by both the recent floods and past wildfires.

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