ACLU

War Unknowns; Title IX Lawsuit; City Council Bills

The 2018 Point in Time Count released Monday indicated a nearly 10 percent drop in homelessness on O’ahu. But, as HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports, those who continue to live on the streets are in a very difficult place. 

It’s been nearly 175 years since the Kingdom of Hawai‘i adopted an official flag. That same flag is now the flag of the state of Hawai‘i. A much younger flag is at the heart of a controversy involving an Asian country, a terrorist organization, and an American courtroom. HPR’s Bill Dorman has more in today’s Asia Minute.

Statewide, almost half of the detainees in our jails are accused but not convicted, many because they cannot afford bail. That’s according to a new study released today by the Hawaiʻi American Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU report paints a picture of a justice system where the wealthy go free, while the working poor sit in jail. Not everyone sees it that way. HPR’s Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi has more.

Over the holidays, did you post happy pictures about your personal life on social media?  Did you do any online shopping, or use GPS?  Did you think at all about what these activities do to your digital profile?  If you did, Edward Snowden’s revelations about government spying probably influenced you.  Snowden will be a panel member in an upcoming immersive at the Doris Duke Theatre that looks at our lives under surveillance.  HPR’s Noe Tanigawa reports.

Defending Civil Liberties; Getting Help with a Downpayment; Girl Scouts in Hawaii

The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing a complaint filed last week by the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii regarding the current state of Hawaii’s prison system.

The document says the state’s prisons and jails don’t meet minimum standards and violate the constitutional rights of prisoners.

They say that 7 out of 9 state prisons are severely overcrowded and underfunded.

Adding that facilities lack proper health services, food safety, and sanitary conditions. 

There’s new evidence in a case challenging the Honolulu’s stored property and sidewalk nuisance ordinances. That’s according to the American Civil Liberties Union. It’s representing 14 plaintiffs in a suit against the city and county’s response to homeless people and their personal property. HPR’s Molly Solomon has more.

A lawsuit was filed in Federal Court today challenging the City and County of Honolulu’s actions against homeless people and their personal property.    HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports.