The ACLU of Hawai‘i reports the addition to its team of Smart Justice Campaign Director Monica Espitia. Espitia will be leading the ACLU of Hawai‘i’s local, on-the-ground Smart Justice work. Hawai‘i is participating in the ACLU’s nationwide Smart Justice campaign, an initiative focused on reducing mass incarceration by 50% while addressing racial bias throughout the criminal justice system.

Espitia has worked within the ACLU for over 13 years, most recently with the ACLU of Florida where she was a key organizer for the Amendment 4 Campaign, which successfully restored the vote to millions of Floridians previously disenfranchised for life due to felony convictions.

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“We are living in a time when peoples’ physical freedoms are being denied at alarming rates and ‘justice’ is being served in not so thoughtful ways,” Espitia said. “My motivation for working on Smart Justice ultimately is hope. Hope that we are ready to be bold and inspiring in the way we balance keeping our communities safe without sacrificing our commitment to justice for all.”

“Thanks to the tireless work of local advocates and stakeholders, a strong foundation has already been laid in Hawai‘i for rethinking who we lock up, why, for how long, what our goals are in doing so, and whether our current policies are actually moving us closer to those goals.,” ACLU of Hawai‘i Executive Director Joshua Wisch said. “Under Monica’s experienced leadership, the ACLU of Hawai’i looks forward to working closely with affected community members, listening to and learning from them, and advocating for policies that are smart on crime, not just tough on crime.”

Last year the ACLU of Hawai‘i released its preliminary report on the need for local bail reform, “As Much Justice As You Can Afford—Hawai‘i’s Accused Face and Unequal Bail System.” A final report will be released soon.