HILO (AP) -- Three Kona residents arrested for investigation of marijuana possession despite holding state permits for medical use of marijuana have sued police for false arrest. Attorney Jack Schweigert filed the suit in Kona Circuit Court this week on behalf of Kealoha Wells and John and Rhonda Robison. Police arrested the three on July 8 at their residence in North Kona. They were released without charges after being held for eight hours, but police said charges are still possible. Police are seen on a videotape made by Rhonda Robison saying the medical supplies of the three must be ''definitively separated'' from each other. But state officials later said there is no legal requirement for separation of medical-marijuana supplies. [continues 254 words]
The Suit Contends The Big Isle Officers Lacked Probable Cause HILO - Three Kona residents have sued Kona police officers for false arrest, alleging that police did not have probable cause when they apprehended the medical marijuana users earlier this month. Attorney Jack Schweigert filed the suit in Kona Circuit Court this week on behalf of Kealoha Wells and John and Rhonda Robison, who have state permits to use marijuana as medicine. Police arrested the three July 8. Police are seen on a videotape of the arrest, made by Rhonda Robison, saying the medical supplies of the three must be "definitively separated" from each other. [continues 180 words]
When the helicopter hovered for some 30 minutes at an altitude less than 500 feet above the Big Isle subdivision of Puna Beach Palisades, residents like Kevin Horton decided they weren't going to take it anymore. "I was angry," Horton recalled about the July 18 incident. "I felt that the sanctity of my home had been violated." Horton and his neighbors confronted the two helmeted cops who exited the chopper. "We said, 'Look, we know you're just doing your job, but there's got to be a better way,'" said Horton, adding, "The helicopter was so loud!" [continues 356 words]
Is it me? Or what. Somehow I just don't get it. We spend big bucks to fly around and spot pakalolo growing, so we can eradicate it, but do nothing about ICE. Now personally, I've never heard of a crazed pot smoker going on a rampage and killing innocent people. Anywhere! I have heard of ICE users killing innocent people, and right here on our beautiful island of Kauai. So.... how do we get rid of ICE. Well it doesn't grow on trees like pot, and I really doubt there are enough labs on this island to support the habits of all the users that live here. Where does it come from? There are only two sources. The Air and the Sea. Do we have dogs at the airport to sniff baggage as it passes by on the luggage conveyor or to check people as they exit the cargo daily? No. We need a special task force devoted to this purpose. Oh yes, it will cost big bucks to implement a squad for that purpose. But think for a moment. Instead of spending millions on island beautification for the tourists, and even more money to bring tourists to Kauai, we might try to save our children. Very much like Parkinsons disease, ICE eats holes in the brain until you go maki. These are our children for goodness sake. Think about it, if you've got any money invested in tourism, who wants to come to Ice Island. That's where we are headed. Just like "Garbage Island" from the past, we can whip this problem if we put our minds and money where it is needed. R. Lawrence, Kapaa [end]
It is not entirely clear why police on the Big Island have cracked down on local residents who hold medical marijuana permits, but the story offered thus far is less than totally convincing. Police said they raided residents in Kona and Puna on the basis of a complaint. That would be an adequate reason to investigate whether the permit holders were growing, selling or holding more marijuana than is allowed under the law. But according to the residents, the police went further than that. [continues 282 words]
HILO - County officials are taking steps to clarify the state's medical marijuana law for residents and for police. County rules and regulations spell out how the Police Department is to enforce the law and how it investigates suspected violations. Before Mayor Harry Kim went on vacation Friday he signed the rules and regulations that govern marijuana eradication operations and reconnaissance missions, as well as investigations involving medical and religious use of marijuana. "Hopefully by the signing of these rules, we will clarify what procedures the police are to follow," County Managing Director Dixie Kaetsu said Monday. [continues 779 words]
HILO - A Honolulu attorney said he is filing on behalf of four Big Island residents lawsuits against police officers who recently seized their medical marijuana. John and Rhonda Robison and Kealoha "Kea" Wells are the plaintiffs in one complaint attorney Jack Schweigert said he mailed Monday to the Kona Division of the Third Circuit Court. That complaint alleges police invaded the privacy of the Robisons and Wells, falsely arrested them July 8 and wrongfully took 20 marijuana plants from their Kalaoa residence. The three were reported "released pending investigation" eight hours after their arrest. Police also seized 1.5 ounces of dried marijuana but returned it July 16, Schweigert said. [continues 516 words]
HILO - Big Island Mayor Harry Kim signed two sets of rules yesterday intended to guide police dealings with marijuana. But the rules appeared to do nothing to quiet critics of police. Residents of Puna Beach Palisades south of Hilo were angered Thursday when a marijuana eradication helicopter landed on a vacant lot to seize 14 plants, said resident Judith Mura. Residents are circulating a petition to Kim to halt such activity, she said. But new eradication rules signed by Kim say nothing for or against helicopters landing in residential areas, although they do say helicopters are supposed to stay 500 feet away from homes. [continues 209 words]
HILO, Hawai'i -- Big Island residents in Kona and Puna are up in arms over recent raids that some claim are targeted against medical marijuana permit holders. Honolulu attorney Jack Schweigert yesterday said he plans to file a lawsuit in Kona's Circuit Court next week on behalf of at least three victims of the raids. He said they appear to be the focus of "frustrated police who have not yet accepted the state law." Police and county officials denied they're targeting medical marijuana users. [end]
Aloha. Your editorial of July 8th is one for the record books. Since you praise it so highly, I dare you to report on the unintended(?) consequences of your island's marijuana eradication program. Kauai has a raging "ice" epidemic and other negative social indicators all around and yet you pretend to wonder where they came from? Duh! From the program you praise so highly, that's where! Just ask Dr. Patricia Morgan, Associate Professor of Public Health at U.C. Berkeley. She did the Hawai'i study connecting the dots from marijuana eradication directly to the ice epidemic from 1991 - 1994. Her telephone number is (510) 642-4861. Her email is momorgan@uclink.berkeley.edu. [continues 122 words]
LEILANI ESTATES, Hawaii) Another medical marijuana user says Big Island police have interfered with his legal use of the substance. Guy Shepard, 60, a retired accountant in Leilani Estates south of Hilo, said police seized two of his seven plants yesterday and destroyed a third. Police left as they came, via helicopter, without arresting him. The incident followed the arrest of three medical marijuana users in Kona last week where police seized 20 plants and 1.5 ounces of dried marijuana. [continues 298 words]
It Had Been Taken From 3 Approved Users Of Medical Marijuana KAILUA-KONA) Kona police have returned 1.5 ounces of marijuana to three state-approved medical marijuana users after confiscating the substance from them last week. In a room at the main Kealakehe station yesterday, a police officer returned the marijuana belonging to John and Rhonda Robison and their house guest, Kea Wells. But police say an investigation is continuing and charges are still possible. Honolulu attorney Jack Schweigert, who represents the three, said this is the first instance in Hawaii of police returning marijuana to people. [continues 318 words]
BARCELONA, Spain -- From the jungles of southeast Asia to the streets of Moscow, the AIDS virus is riding on the back of a global heroin epidemic and taking root among the most populous nations on Earth. The link between HIV infection and injection drug use was one of the earliest discoveries of the epidemic. But it is only recently that disease trackers have detected signs of a rapidly spreading drug-related outbreak in Eastern Europe and Asia that threatens to reach into the general population. [continues 386 words]
I agree with the editorial "School drug tests are not the solution" (Star-Bulletin, July 1). I'm a 16-year-old who thinks teenagers have the right to their privacy. It's not fair if only teenagers are subject to random searches. What about adults? Someone would have to get a search warrant in order to go through an adult's belongings and that would also involve having probable cause. They couldn't get a search warrant just based on the way the person looked or what sport he or she participated in. [continues 105 words]
The Kona patients say officers block their legal use of the drug KAILUA-KONA) Three Kona residents say Big Island police are blocking them from legally using marijuana for medical purposes. Rhonda Robison, her husband, John, and their house guest Kealoha Wells were arrested Monday at their Kalaoa, North Kona, home for allegedly promoting a detrimental drug. Police seized 20 marijuana plants and 1.5 ounces of processed marijuana, Rhonda Robison said. John Robison and Wells have leukemia, and Rhonda Robison has a form of muscular dystrophy. They have permits to use marijuana under the state law that allows medical marijuana users to have seven plants each, plus one ounce of processed marijuana each, Robison said. [continues 528 words]
Cynthia Tucker's column on drugs ("U.S. should quietly end war on drugs," Star-Bulletin, June 28) is the best article I have read since arriving in Honolulu. I am visiting your beautiful island from Glasgow, Scotland. In my city and every other city in the United Kingdom, drugs are freely available. The police simply don't have the resources to combat drugs. It is a war that can never be won, being fought on the drug dealers' terms. What America does, the U.K. tends to follow. Is there an American politician with the courage and vision to legalize drugs? The illegal-drug market is worth billions of dollars to criminals. What would it be worth to governments if it was heavily taxed (not unlike alcohol and cigarettes)? [continues 98 words]
Cynthia Tucker's recent column (Star-Bulletin, June 28) asserting that the federal anti-drug effort is a costly failure is refuted by the facts. Anti-drug efforts of the 1980s and '90s have produced remarkable results. In 1979, there were 25.4 million drug users in America. In 2000, this number had dropped to 14 million, a 45 percent decrease. Cocaine use in America declined from 4.7 million users in 1979 to 1.2 million users in 2000. Adolescent drug use in 2000 was almost half the level of 1979 (2.2 million youth, compared with 4.1 million). These numbers are still too high, but they show steady and significant progress. [continues 101 words]
The Kauai Police Department earlier this week cut down almost 10,000 marijuana plants of varying size. They were assisted by state and federal agencies in spotting the plants using a helicopter and in eradicating the plants. The good news is the number of plants located and destroyed. The bad news is word that the sale of ice, which requires no growing of plants and it thus less obvious, is the drug of choice now to sell. However, continuing to fly Green Harvest operations is an important part of the battle to keep the Island free of drug abuse. [continues 65 words]
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. The Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional? Americans should be outraged at this irresponsible decision (The Maui News, June 27 and 28). The court found that the reciting of the pledge by teachers and students "amounts to a government endorsement of religion," going so far as to compare the phrase "under God" with "under Zeus." Just last month, this radical court found that certain people could smoke marijuana on federal lands if it is part of their religion. [continues 57 words]
Cynthia Tucker's column "U.S. should quietly end war on drugs" (Star-Bulletin, June 28) is a masterpiece. Her suggestions would allow the short-minded legislators to at least save face. Apparently they didn't learn a thing with the legislation on Prohibition some 70 years ago. Why continue with a war against drugs after 40 years of utter failure and a waste of billions of dollars of taxpayers' money? A.J. Calabro Kailua [end]
Beginning today, drivers with expired licenses have three months to renew them before having to start over with learner's permits, drug abusers will get access to clean syringes, and people who feed sharks for commercial gain will be breaking the law. More than three dozen state laws that passed during the 2002 legislative session go into effect today. Some of them -- including legislation that aims to address Hawai'i's problems with drug abuse -- could have far-reaching affects. First-time, nonviolent drug users will be sentenced to probation and get drug treatment instead of jail time, a measure that judges and health officials say should help alleviate prison overcrowding as well as related public health problems. [continues 185 words]
The Issue: Schools have been allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court to subject public school students participating in extracurricular activities to random drug tests. AN Oklahoma school's policy of conducting random drug tests on students participating in extracurricular activities may be misguided, but the U.S. Supreme Court has given its stamp of approval. Proponents of drug tests would do better to extend them to all students. Other school-based drug prevention programs remain preferable to intrusive searches. Drug abuse, especially the increased use of crystal methamphetamine and the amphetamine-based hallucinogen Ecstasy, is a problem in Hawaii's high schools. However, it has not reached the "epidemic" level that Justice Clarence Thomas described in allowing schools to resort to random testing of students. [continues 245 words]
Hawaii high schoolers are not likely to be subjected to random drug testing anytime soon, despite a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last week that upheld a school's right to test any student who joins competitive after-school activities and teams. The 5-4 decision means that schools can administer drug tests regardless of whether there is evidence that a student has used drugs. Previously random testing had been allowed only for student athletes. "We find that testing students who participate in extracurricular activities is a reasonably effective means of addressing the school district's legitimate concerns in preventing, deterring and detecting drug use," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority. [continues 181 words]
Physicians And Pharmacies Will Be Allowed To Sell Them People who inject illegal drugs will be able to buy sterile syringes from pharmacies and health care providers starting tomorrow. A bill passed by the Legislature authorizes sale of sterile syringes to reduce sharing of infected syringes and transmission of HIV, hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases. "The new law permits an effective prevention intervention with little or no cost to the public purse," said Peter Whiticar, chief of the state Health Department's STD/AIDS Prevention Branch. [continues 171 words]
(ATLANTA) There is little good news from the anti-terror front these days. The whereabouts of Osama bin Laden are still unknown; the entrenched Washington bureaucracy is fighting the new proposal for a Cabinet-level homeland defense department; and al-Qaida has regrouped to foment jihad in Kashmir, the area hotly contested by two new nuclear powers, India and Pakistan. In other words, world affairs remain depressing. Still, there was this small notice mixed in with recent news about reorganizing and retooling the FBI: The agency will scale back its efforts in the so-called war on drugs. It comes as a relief -- a bit of good news - -- that the FBI has shifted its priorities away from corner crackheads and petty methamphetamine dealers. With terrorists threatening to explode dirty bombs, spread smallpox and put cyanide in the water supply, it seems silly for a major law enforcement agency to expend its precious resources hunting down drug offenders. [continues 525 words]
The Natural Law Party candidate for governor, Jonathan Adler, was convicted of commercial promotion of marijuana for possessing 89 marijuana plants. Mr. Adler, 50, a minister in the Religion of Jesus Church, argued that using marijuana was part of his religion. He also said he used marijuana to treat his asthma. [end]
The June 12 Star-Bulletin article on the 2001 ADAM (Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program) report on the dramatic use-levels of "ice" (crystal methamphetamine) by arrested males in Honolulu begs the question of why Hawaii has such a high rate of use and what can be done to address it. Accessibility of drugs, biological and environmental factors all contribute to a person's drug use and whether or not he/she will become addicted. What also needs to be factored in is the initial decision for the drug user to "use or not use." [continues 187 words]
HILO -- Jonathan Adler, religious marijuana user and Natural Law Party candidate for governor, has been found guilty of commercial promotion of marijuana. Adler, 50, was charged with possessing 89 marijuana plants and marijuana paraphernalia in 1998. Adler contended that religious freedom under the Constitution allows him to use marijuana. In handing down a written verdict yesterday, Judge Greg Nakamura noted that Adler is a reverend in the Religion of Jesus Church and that Adler sincerely believes in the church. Nakamura also noted that the church requires its believers to use marijuana at least once a year, usually on Aug. 21, which they believe to be the true birthday of Jesus. [continues 266 words]
A Big Island marijuana advocate running for governor as a third-party candidate has been convicted on drug charges filed three years ago. Jonathan Adler, 50, who says he requires marijuana for his asthma and for religious purposes, was convicted of possessing more than 50 marijuana plants and of possessing drug paraphernalia. Adler, a Puna resident, faces up to 60 years in prison upon sentencing, scheduled for Aug. 26, but probation is more likely, his attorney said. Adler filed nomination papers April 1 to run for governor as a candidate for the Natural Law, but Rex Quidilla, state Office of Elections spokesman, said Adler cannot run for state office once he is sentenced for the felony. [end]
In the article "Isles top nation for thefts" (Star-Bulletin, June 11), Capt. Carlton Nishimura of the Honolulu Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division said, "Unemployed people who have a drug problem need to substantiate their living through theft" and increasing treatment opportunities for drug offenders is a step in the right direction. This is not a strong enough solution. If there are unemployed people, then there have to be more opportunities for training and employment for Hawaii residents. More vocational colleges should be established where people could be taught skills and earn a living instead of living off welfare, charity or stealing other people's property. Also, instead of just treating drug addicts, the drug trafficking should be nipped in the bud; find the source, plug it and deal out harsh punishments for drug dealing. This surely would result in a much safer and happier Hawaii. Raj Bose [end]
Having growing up in Hawaii throughout the '70s, '80s and '90s, I must applaud Kat Brady's assessment that the disproportional use and arrest of "ice" users in Hawaii was a reaction to the eradication of pakalolo through Operation Green Harvest ("Arrested males on 'ice' top 35 percent," Star-Bulletin, June 12). Green Harvest was a boon to lawmakers and law-enforcement agencies aiming to persuade the public that they were reducing crime. It was an easy sell because marijuana is bulky, highly visible and easily recognized, making it easy to eradicate and display on the 6 o'clock news. [continues 143 words]
Don't squander your compassion on Mike DeKneef and his three-year incarceration in a federal "country-club" prison camp ("Drugs put DeKneef a long way from home," Star-Bulletin, June 16). Save your sympathy for those whom he helped set on a journey of drug addiction through his dealing of crystal methamphetamine. Drug users disrupt people's lives and cause emotional trauma when they commit crimes to buy the drugs they crave. But these tribulations are relatively short-lived when compared to the harm caused by users who turn to dealing, and thereby draw others into lives of misery. [continues 377 words]
Dear Editor, After over 60 years of Cannabis Prohibition - what is the result? - -Almost no public knowledge about Industrial Cannabis as a renewable resource. - -Deforestation instead of using Cannabis for paper products and building materials is causing millions of acres of trees, including the Amazon Rainforest, to disappear, critically altering world ecosystems. - -Discontinuing production and development of once popular and commonly used hemp biomass fuels has forced our dependence on fuel to be supplied only by oil and coal monopolies. Burning their fossil fuel products is the main cause of global warming. [continues 237 words]
Admits Program Isn't Working, But Demands Congress Fund It Anyway Drug Czar John Walters requested last week that members of a Senate appropriations subcommittee continue funding the White House's $1.8 billion anti-drug ad campaign - even though the ads have failed to discourage teens from using drugs, and have been associated with increasing drug use among frequent viewers. Walters told senators that he intends to overhaul the campaign by quantitatively testing new ads before they air, targeting older teens, and shifting the campaign's focus from polydrug use to marijuana only. [continues 271 words]
When the FBI reported that Hawai'i led the nation in thefts, thefts from vehicles and robberies, the message was finally clear: We need change and we need it now. When our local leaders decided to give first-time drug offenders classes instead of consequence, the "hole" was dug deeper. Citizens in Hawai'i are finally fed up with the liberals who have created states of emergency in the state prison system and public schools, and questionable conduct by our elected Democratic officials. [continues 56 words]
Your otherwise commendable editorial (Star-Bulletin, June 13) on the dangers to youth of methamphetamine abuse is marred by your reference to Kat Brady's claim that users have turned to meth because of Hawaii's marijuana eradication campaign. In a recent survey of 25,000 Hawaii students, 71 percent of high school seniors stated that it would be "fairly easy" or "very easy" for them to get marijuana. If Hawaii has a marijuana shortage, Brady is the only one aware of it. Ray Gagner Kailua [end]
The Former Island Baseball Star And Coach Is Spending This Father's Day In Federal Prison, While He And His Family Wait To Be Together Again He pictured razor wire, guards in towers with rifles, and noisy, violent inmates. But incarceration is different than what Mike DeKneef imagined. The federal prison camp, a low-security facility in Sheridan, Ore., is "not like the movies or OCCC," says DeKneef, a former baseball star and Kamehameha assistant coach from Pearl City. Not that his home for the next three years is a playground. [continues 1098 words]
Bravo to Hawaii lawmakers and Gov. Cayetano for the passage of the drug-diversion measure ("Drug offender bill ready to sign," Star-Bulletin, June 8). Here in California, a similar law, Proposition 36, was passed two years ago. Since then, the state has saved nearly $2 billion in incarceration costs and rehabilitated thousands of drug offenders. Placing nonviolent drug users -- most of whom are arrested for smoking marijuana -- in jail alongside hard criminals makes no sense. Hawaii no doubt will enjoy the same benefits from this bill in the years to come. Adam Wiggins Pasadena, Calif. [end]
A National Survey Shows Men Arrested For Crimes In Honolulu Are More Likely Than Arrestees Elsewhere To Be Users Of Crystal Methamphetamine. CRYSTAL methamphetamine is a larger problem in Hawaii than elsewhere in the country, but that may change. The ease and low cost of producing what is being called the poor man's cocaine is increasing its appeal across the country. Education may be the best way to combat this dangerous drug. From January 2000 through last September 2001, 35.9 percent of all males arrested in Honolulu tested positive for crystal meth, or "ice," a percentage far above any of the other 36 cities included in a survey by the U.S. Department of Justice. All other cities registered percentages below 30 percent. The survey shows it is increasingly the drug of choice in Western states while cocaine and heroin are used more in the East. [continues 323 words]
The recent debate over Hawai'i's new law to provide a treatment alternative to prison for nonviolent drug offenders, and Prosecutor Peter Carlisle's assertion that only six of the 3,920 inmates in Hawai'i's prisons would be appropriate for such a program, indicate some confusion about the relationships among drugs, crime and incarceration. Perhaps a look at the numbers can clear things up. The following information from the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics Web site ( http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs ) highlights some of the latest and most detailed information on drugs, crime and the prison population. [continues 523 words]
Honolulu had the highest percentage of crystal meth-amphetamine use among men arrested on the island compared with 30 other U.S. cities last year, and police say people hooked on "ice" have contributed to Hawai'i's high rate of thefts. Nearly 40 percent of the men who were arrested by the Honolulu Police Department from January 2001 to September 2001 tested positive for crystal methamphetamine, according to the national Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice. [continues 884 words]
Honolulu Outpaces 36 Other Big Cities In Its Incidence Of 'Ice' Use Among 37 major metropolitan areas, Honolulu has the highest percentage of arrested males testing positive for crystal methamphetamine, according to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Justice. Between January 2000 and September 2001, 35.9 percent of all males arrested in Honolulu tested positive for crystal methamphetamine, also known as "ice." No other city approached 30 percent. Cities participating in the survey ranged from New York City and Philadelphia to San Diego and Seattle. [continues 413 words]
If Prime Minister Goh wants to reinvent Singapore, a good place to start would be with its judicial system. A few years back, when President Clinton's plea for clemency in the caning of Michael Fay was refused, many Americans concluded that justice in Singapore was too harsh and too stupid, so forget about it. It hasn't changed. They are still caning prisoners. A quick look at the Internet at various sites such as the MSN Singapore punishment site will give a graphic description, including photographs of caning. [continues 91 words]
I'm a student from Kailua High School who would like to thank all those who helped with the passing of a bill relating to drug rehabilitation. I have done research in Waimanalo on what residents think are its problems. The community feels that drug abuse is the biggest problem. By passing the bill we feel the state has done something to crack down on druggies and to get help for those already in jail. Thank you, Senator Bunda, for recognizing the needs of my community. Joshlin Lindsey [end]
The time of accountability for Hawaii's 'marijuana eradication program' has come. Horrible social, economic and environmental damage have grown for decades on the manure of prohibitionist media and journalism, DARE misinformation, police propaganda and the lack of a 'mandatory program review.' It's time to take a good, hard look at what's going on here, and repair it now for our healthy and prosperous future. Reported and many more unreported incidents of heavily armed and violent, ninja-clad robbers looking for 'medical marijuana,' Forbes magazine declaring doing business in Hawaii is akin to 'economic suicide,' statewide poverty, the 'ice' epidemic, poisoned gardens, post-traumatic stress disorder from a terrorized rural populace, the exodus from here to anywhere - - all of these and more are examples of unintended consequences of the state's marijuana eradication program, now in its 30th year. [continues 360 words]
Gov. Ben Cayetano is reported to be ready to sign a bill today that would offer drug treatment to non-violent first time offenders of drug-related crimes in lieu of jail time. The goal of the bill is to ease the overcrowding in the state's prisons. Some 300 prisoners might be released once the bill is in place. The bill is being driven by the fact that the state is facing lawsuits over overcrowding in prisons. The cost of the drug treatment programs are about half the cost of sending someone to prison, according to retired Circuit Judge Masato Doi. [continues 208 words]
The Governor Argues The Move Can Safely Ease Prison Crowding Gov. Ben Cayetano wants to release several hundred inmates early to relieve prison overcrowding and get some prisoners into drug treatment programs. Prison officials said earlier this week that they were looking into releasing about 300 low-risk inmates early. "As far as I'm concerned, that number that they have recommended is a little too small," Cayetano said yesterday after signing a bill that requires probation and drug treatment instead of prison for nonviolent, first-time drug offenders. [continues 599 words]
Cayetano Will Approve The Bill That Will Send Nonviolent Offenders To Treatment Programs An administration bill to divert nonviolent, first-time offenders to drug treatment programs instead of sending them to prison is expected to have the added benefit of helping to ease overcrowding at Hawaii's prisons. The problem of overcrowding has gotten to the point where officials are looking at early release for as many as 300 low-risk inmates to avoid possible prisoner lawsuits stemming from the crowded conditions. [continues 487 words]
A Study Shows That Two-Thirds Of State Prison Inmates Commit New Crimes Within Three Years Of Being Released. THE prison-building frenzy of the past quarter-century may have kept more criminals off the streets, but it did little to rehabilitate them. A study of 15 mainland states by the Justice Department showed that most inmates released from prison commit new crimes within a short time. The study provides further evidence that building more prisons in Hawaii will not deter crime. [continues 365 words]
The government is wasting time and money cracking down on marijuana use. In an opinion issued this week by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which includes Hawai'i, some marijuana-using Rastafarians may be protected under a religious-freedom law passed by Congress in 1993. The case began in 1991 when Benny Guerrero, returning from a trip to Hawai'i was stopped by officials at Guam's international airport. Guerrero evidently attracted the eyes of authorities because he was carrying a book about Rastafarianism and marijuana. A search of Guerrero's luggage turned up five ounces of marijuana and some cannabis seeds. He was arrested and charged with importation of a controlled substance. [continues 487 words]
Inside Hawaii
