As part of The Conversation's ongoing look at Hawaiʻi's specialty courts, HPR wanted to check in with some of the latest developments on Hawaiʻi Island.
In Kona, Drug Court has already proven to be overwhelmingly successful and many of the practices that guided that program are now being extended to the newly formed Women’s Court on the island as well.
The two-year pilot program called Nā Hulu Wehi establishes the Women’s Court Program in the Kona division of the Third Circuit. It was funded by the Legislature this past legislative session.
HPR spoke with Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Justice Sabrina McKenna, who has overseen Drug Court, plus Drug Court Coordinator Grayson Hashida and Andi Pawasarat-Losalio, the executive director of Bridge House, one of the local nonprofits that will be collaborating with Women’s Court.
A couple of women who have experienced cycles of incarceration and eventually found stability in their lives, Genesis Kepoo and Christine Roney, also spoke with HPR about their work with the Women's Court as part of a newly formed committee.
This story aired on The Conversation on Nov. 3, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
