Press Release
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of Hawaii
PJKK Federal Building (808) 541-2850
300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 6-100 FAX (808) 541-2958
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850
November 1, 2007
For Immediate Release
P R E S S A N N O U N C E M E N T
Ed Kubo, the U.S. Attorney for Hawaii, and Jay Kimura, the County Prosecuting Attorney for the Big Island, jointly announced today that the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) has awarded the Big Island a $443,405 grant for the establishment of a Third Circuit Drug Court Team. The funding is provided under a 2007 COPS Methamphetamine Initiative.
With the COPS grant, the Big Island will be able to hire two additional probation officers to supervise and track high risk defendants with drug problems, and the County Prosecutor’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office each will be hiring a paralegal to assist in tracking these same defendants through the system. “With better supervision, many of these high risk defendants stand a better chance to succeed in putting their drug problems behind them and living productive lives,” said Prosecutor Kimura.
“I am happy to have done my part in nominating the Big Island Drug Court Team for this federal grant. Our citizens and community leaders there have done so much in coming together to fight back the ICE epidemic we had six years ago. This money will greatly assist them in their continued fight to save their children, their families, and their neighborhoods from crime and drug abuse,” Kubo said.
The COPS Methamphetamine Initiative grants can be used to help communities combat meth, and to collaborate with other entities in the prevention and treatment of meth abuse. This is a targeted program that focuses on supporting communities facing significant meth problems.
For more information on the proposed Third Circuit Drug Court Team, call the Big Island County Prosecutor's Office at (808) 934-3300.
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