Hawai'i's unprecedented budget shortfall has required the state to streamline its operations and evaluate its core functions. As part of that evaluation, the Department of Public Safety determined that the closing of Kulani Correctional Facility on the Big Island is a cost-effective action that must be undertaken. Because of the facility's importance to the Big Island economy and community, the state understands the importance of using the Kulani site productively even if it will no longer be a correctional facility.

For this reason, the Department of Public Safety has partnered with the state Department of Defense to transform the facility into an additional campus for the Hawai'i National Guard Youth Challenge Academy. Not only is this a cost-effective option for the state, but it also provides a second chance for teenagers who are at risk of failing high school.

Since the Hawai'i National Guard Youth Challenge Academy first opened its doors in 1995, the program has helped more than 2,500 at-risk students learn life skills and earn their high school diplomas. Currently, Youth Challenge admits approximately 300 students per year who board at the Kalaeloa campus in 22-week programs that instill discipline and self-worth, while also providing a high school education. In addition, students are mentored for a year after graduation to help them achieve their goals and plans.

However, due to the number of applications this successful program receives, Youth Challenge reluctantly turns away half of all applicants as a result of limited facilities and staff. Having a Youth Challenge campus at Kulani will change that and allow the state to help more at-risk teens who otherwise would fall through the cracks.

Kulani is a good site for the Youth Challenge Academy because it already has in place the necessary infrastructure and facilities. Moreover, the Kulani campus will create different learning experiences for students by offering alternatives such as woodworking, automobile repair, farming and ranching, which take advantage of existing equipment at Kulani. It also makes sense to have the new campus on a Neighbor Island because approximately 35 percent of Youth Challenge participants come from the Neighbor Islands.

Not only will the handover of Kulani save the Department of Public Safety $2.8 million a year, but it will also allow the state Department of Defense to take advantage of federal funding available for establishing an additional Youth Challenge Academy.

Legislation pending in Congress will fully fund newly established academies for two years, with a 25-75 percent state-federal matching requirement thereafter, instead of the current 40-60 percent match.

In these tight fiscal times, it is essential for the state to leverage all available resources to the best of its ability. Transforming Kulani from a correctional facility to an educational facility for at-risk youth not only saves money, but also gives these students an opportunity to turn their lives around before they head down the wrong path.

Clayton Frank is director of the state Department of Public Safety. Brigadier General Gary Ishikawa is deputy adjutant general, Hawai'i Army National Guard, Department of Defense. They wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.