Rep. Gabbard Advocates for Criminal Justice Reform

Hawaiʻi spends an estimated $140 per prison inmate per day, which includes program services, food, health care, and administrative costs, according to information compiled by the Hawaiʻi Department of Public Safety and detailed by US Representative Tulsi Gabbard.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard toured the Maui Community Correctional Center last year as part of her ongoing focus on reforming the criminal justice system. Courtesy photo: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard file photo 2.24.17

The Congresswoman says that comes out to more than $51,000 per year per prisoner locked up in Hawaiʻi–more than a year’s salary for many residents.

Rep. Gabbard pointed towards the data in calling the state’s criminal justice system “broken and unsustainable” and outlined her plans for criminal justice reform.

This includes a push towards the federal decriminalization of marijuana, sentencing reform to reduce certain mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenders, and an initiative to divert youth away from juvenile court involvement and connect them to a community-based system of support.