Ministry fund-raiser
to ‘jail’ isle celebrities

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Star-Bulletin

A lineup of politicians, attorneys, entertainers and media personalities will find themselves behind bars Friday -- serving time for a good cause.

Mayor Jeremy Harris, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo, state Rep. Barbara Marumoto and state Sen. Norman Sakamoto are among the announced participants in the annual Jail-a-thon fund-raiser for the Good News Jail & Prison Ministry. Musical entertainment will take place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Aloha Tower Marketplace while "prisoners" seek pledges and contributions from friends and the audience to get bailed out of the mock jail.

The goal of the campaign is $15,000 to support the organization, which provides spiritual support for Hawaii inmates and their families. One major project provides free long-distance calls between Hawaii inmates in mainland prisons and family members here.

Chaplains join with state Corrections Division staff in an effort "to help inmates choose a more productive lifestyle," said the Rev. James Boetcher, Big Island prison chaplain.

The nonprofit, nondenominational organization does not receive government support. The organization supports a chaplain at each state prison and organizes counseling and classes by volunteers. Although Christian-based, the ministry helps facilitate prisoners' requests for spiritual advisors from their own faiths.

For information on making contributions, call the Rev. Dennis Yokota at 735-1048.

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