Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced Friday the appointment of a couple of familiar faces to head the Departments of Hawaiian Home Lands and Public Safety.
Jobie Masagatani, who served as DHHL deputy director from 1995 to 2002 and most recently served as special assistant to the chief executive officer at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, was named to replace Alapaki Nahale-a as director of DHHL.
Ted Sakai, who served as public safety director from 1998 to 2002, returns to his old position. Sakai replaces Jodie Maesaka-Hirata, who takes over the deputy director of corrections position vacated by Joe Booker.
Abercrombie said the moves will help begin implementation of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, which calls for bringing Hawaii inmates back from mainland prisons and emphasizes treatment programs for inmates.
Abercrombie cited Masagatani’s experience in the public and private sectors, including work with federal agencies to improve conditions for Native Hawaiians.
Masagatani, 47, holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Northwestern University and a master’s in public affairs and urban and regional planning from Princeton University.
Masagatani also worked as a land investment analyst for Kamehameha Schools (her alma mater) and as an assistant to the president and chief executive officer of the Queen’s Health Systems.
Sakai, 65, has more than 25 years of experience in the state corrections system, including stints as administrator of corrections programs and warden of the Waiawa Correctional Facility. He is credited with implementing several programs aimed at addressing substance abuse, suicide and abuse of inmates.
Abercrombie said it was Maesaka-Hirata who suggested the change at the top of the Department of Public Safety.
"With the passage of landmark legislation this past session, I saw an opportunity to focus my attention on Corrections for the betterment of the state’s criminal justice system and I am looking forward to serving in this role," Maesaka-Hirata said in a news release, referring to two Justice Reinvestment Initiative-related measures aimed at making the system more efficient and accountable.
"Overall, our goal is to create a mechanism to return inmates from mainland facilities safety to Hawaii’s community. This will reduce Hawaii’s need for contractual mainland correctional facility beds and (foster) reinvesting monies within our state."
