Compassionate Release

The Kalana Ola coalition was formed in 2025 to assist paʻahao (incarcerated individuals) who may be eligible for compassionate or medical release. Kalana Ola means “freed and forgiven to heal,” signifying the compassion in releasing paʻahao who are elderly, near end of life, or critically ill. Compassionate release is rooted in humanitarian principles and aligned with Native Hawaiian values of aloha, mālama (care), and kuleana (responsibility to one another). This relief is acutely needed for Native Hawaiian paʻahao, who are substantially over-represented in the Hawai’i prison system. This longstanding crises for Hawaiian ʻohana disrupts the pono and the perpetuation of ola through ...