Big Island Woman Appointed to Hawaiʻi Paroling Authority Board

Gov. David Ige has appointed two new members to Hawaiʻi’s Paroling Authority Board, one of whom was Big Island resident Carol Matayoshi.

Matayoshi is currently the chair of the Hawaiʻi Service Area Board on Mental Health and Substance Abuse and is the Hawaiʻi County representative to the State Council on Mental Health. She has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 24 years, dealing with issues of chronic homelessness, serious mental illness, substance use disorders, justice-involved populations, and generational poverty. Matayoshi helped develop the private nonprofit organization Going Home Hawaiʻi (GHH), which helps justice-involved individuals reintegrate into the community. In addition, her “In-Reach and Reintegration” program responds to specific needs of the chronically homeless.

Matayoshi is a life-long resident of Hawaiʻi Island and a graduate of the University of Hilo, where she earned her bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in English. She also earned a master’s degree in forensic psychology from Argosy University.

The second appointee is Milton Kotsubo who retired from the Department of Public Safety (PSD) in 2014. He ended his 30-year career as administrator of the Intake Service Center Division, overseeing pretrial services statewide.

The appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

Ige made his appointments from a list of nominees submitted by a panel composed of: the chief justice of the Hawai‘i Supreme Court or designee, the director of PSD or designee, the president of the Hawai‘i State Bar Association or designee, a representative designated by the head of the Interfaith Alliance Hawai‘i, a member from the general public appointed by the governor, and the president of the Hawai‘i Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers or designee.

The five-member Hawai‘i Paroling Authority is an independent quasi-judicial body, which is attached to PSD for administrative purposes only.