Hawaii is a state which is poised on the brink of deinstitutionalization, a state which holds real potential for the design and implementation of a model juvenile justice system. In June 1988, NCIA presented to the Department of Corrections recommendations for such a system.
The State of Hawaii should move quickly in the direction of reducing its incarcerated juvenile population in favor of a system of small secure and locked settings for truly dangerous youths, with a wide array of community-based programs for the rest.