Photo courtesy of Honolulu Civil Beat
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The Legal Need - Beyond Guilt Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i Innocence Project Co-Director, Kenneth Lawson and Associate Director Jennifer Brown are staring a new clinic at the WSRSL to help deliver access to justice to so many in need. The purpose of the clinic is to address mass incarceration by assisting individuals formerly or currently incarcerated who may have been unfairly or overly sentenced. This pilot clinic is modeled after the Ohio Justice and Policy Center’s Beyond Guilt, created by law professor and civil rights activist David Singleton. All of Hawai‘i’s jails and prisons are severely overcrowded and this clinic will assist in reducing the number of men and women incarcerated, thereby supporting the goals of the Hawai‘i Prison Oversight Commission, HCR 85 Task Force, Hawai‘i Legislature, and Department of Public Safety.
Types of cases that Beyond Guilt Hawai‘i can assist with:
• Clemency (Pardons and Commutations of Life Sentences)
• Compassionate Release (Kūpuna, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Survivors)
• Drug Offenses
• Record Clearing and Sealing (Expungements and Court Case Sealing)
• Parole (Petitions and Hearings)
If you would like to have your case reviewed by the Beyond Guilt Hawai‘i Clinic, please complete the application linked here. Mail your completed application to:
Beyond Guilt Hawai‘i Clinic
William S. Richardson School of Law
Attn: Kenneth Lawson and Jennifer Brown
2485 Dole Street, Suite 206
Honolulu, HI 96822
Law Student Training
Law students enrolled in the clinic work with our community members who are currently or formerly incarcerated but whose conviction requires a second look – either because of the unfairness or illegality of their sentence or because their sentence was too punitive, and justice dictates that length of time they have served and their rehabilitation in prison warrants their release. Students will be given opportunities to learn and practice in the areas of parole, clemency, pardons, expungements, and petitions for post-conviction relief to the courts. Students will also learn legislative policy reform, utilizing their cases to petition the legislature and the courts to reform sentencing, parole, and other similar laws to address the overcrowding in Hawai‘i’s jails and prisons. this clinic will help students become better advocates for their clients. Students will gain extensive knowledge about criminal law, post-conviction appeals, parole, and expungement so they can build the necessary skills to participate effectively and ethically in the field of criminal defense and appellate practice. This course will also help students achieve proficiency in legal analysis and reasoning, through active participation and class discussions on cases and legal issues. Students will also gain and refine fundamental critical thinking skills in the areas of investigative methods, fact development, and identification of legal issues. Students will not only learn how to be effective and ethical advocates, they will also learn what legal mistakes to avoid so they will not become an ineffective lawyer. Students will gain critical oral, research, and writing skills.
The clinic will begin Spring 2022. Interested students should email Jennifer Brown at beyondguilthawaii@gmail.com for more information.
