Department of Human Services

Juvenile Justice in Hawaii
To prevent delinquency and reduce the incidence of recidivism for youth-at-risk, the Hawaii State Legislature established the Office of Youth Services (OYS) in 1989 to provide and coordinate a continuum of services and programs in every county. The OYS is responsible for the administration of the federal juvenile justice and delinquency prevention act, reauthorized in 2002. Although a core responsibility of the OYS is to manage and operate the State’s only Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility (HYCF), the agency also provides and supports “front end” prevention, diversion, and intervention services.

A bipartisan working group has convened to increase public safety and hold juvenile offenders accountable for their actions, while reducing costs to Hawaii taxpayers. The Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) is an inter-government group, comprised of policymakers, practitioners and stakeholders tasked with analyzing the state’s juvenile justice system and developing data-driven policy recommendations for the 2014 Legislature. Members will study Hawaii’s data, review evidence about what works in juvenile justice, and develop policy options to improve outcomes and reduce costs.

The Hawaii Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council
The JJSAC advises government and local communities on effective service provisions and policies that improve the juvenile justice system and advocate for delinquency prevention.