Mohala Wahine court becomes America's first permanent all-women's court
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 10
Mohala Wahine court becomes America's first permanent all-women's court
6 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 10
The Honolulu programme, launched as a 2022 pilot, serves about 30 women before Judge Trish Morikawa and was made permanent by Hawaii lawmakers last summer.
It aims to cut Hawaii's female prison population by addressing trauma, abuse, unstable housing, mental health problems and other factors behind what researchers call women's "crimes of survival".
Women in state prisons rose 834% nationally between 1978 and 2015, and Native Hawaiian women are disproportionately incarcerated, making up most defendants in the court.
Is a 'blossoming woman' court the answer to centuries of systemic failure against Native Hawaiians?
Can a court focused on healing deliver justice for victims while also rehabilitating offenders?
The Mohala Wahine court in Hawaiʻi, launched as a pilot in 2023, marks a radical shift in criminal justice by addressing the root causes of women's involvement in nonviolent crime, such as trauma, abuse, addiction, and economic instability. Its healing-focused approach quickly gained recognition, leading the Hawaii State Legislature to grant it permanent status in 2025. Now poised for expansion to other islands, the court aims to replicate its success statewide, offering a compassionate alternative to traditional incarceration and setting a new standard for justice reform.