REPORT TITLE: 
Female parity in corrections


DESCRIPTION:
Provides for female parity in corrections.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1847
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO CORRECTIONS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The Hawaii Revised Statutes is amended by adding
 
 2 a new chapter to be appropriately designated and to read as
 
 3 follows:
 
 4                             "CHAPTER
 
 5                    PARITY FOR FEMALE OFFENDERS
 
 6      §  -1  Female prisoners; parity programs.  Adult women
 
 7 charged with or convicted of crimes, and juvenile females,
 
 8 adjudicated for an offense that would be a crime if committed by
 
 9 an adult or who are adjudicated delinquent, shall be provided a
 
10 range and quality of programming substantially equivalent to
 
11 programming offered male persons convicted of crimes or
 
12 delinquencies.  Programs for female offenders may be based upon
 
13 psychosocial developmental needs of female offenders.
 
14      §  -2  Model programs.  Within the limits of money
 
15 appropriated, the director of public safety shall provide model
 
16 programs for female offenders that respond to statewide needs and
 
17 geographical areas and shall award grants for the programs.
 
18 Listed in the order of importance, the programs shall:
 

 
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 1      (1)  Respond in a rehabilitative way to the type of offenses
 
 2           female offenders generally commit, addressing pathways
 
 3           to crime;
 
 4      (2)  Respond to the problems of female offenders with
 
 5           dependent children;
 
 6      (3)  Respond to the importance of developing independent
 
 7           living skills;
 
 8      (4)  Assist female offenders to overcome their own extreme
 
 9           degree of dependency, learning strong and healthy
 
10           relationships without losing self-esteem; and
 
11      (5)  Prepare to offer technical assistance and training
 
12           toward the implementation of other similar programs. 
 
13      §  -3 Creation of advisory task force.  The director of
 
14 public safety may appoint an advisory task force on the female
 
15 and juvenile female offender in corrections.  The task force
 
16 shall have no more than twenty members and shall reflect a
 
17 statewide geographical representation.  The director of public
 
18 safety shall appoint members to the task force and the task force
 
19 shall continue until it is terminated by the director of public
 
20 safety.  The task force shall develop a plan to increase
 
21 interagency cooperation to address the needs unique to female
 
22 offenders.
 

 
 
 
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 1      §  -4 Grants-in-aid.  To assist agencies that have
 
 2 existing programs for the female offender, and to encourage
 
 3 agencies to develop and implement programs, the director of
 
 4 public safety, from funds appropriated by the legislature
 
 5 specifically for that purpose shall make grants-in-aid in those
 
 6 to agencies electing to participate in the grant program.
 
 7      §  -5  Agency programs; matching funds.  Where several
 
 8 agencies combine to provide one or more of the programs under
 
 9 this chapter, the matching funds shall be borne proportionately
 
10 by the participating agencies on the basis of need or use as
 
11 determined by rules adopted pursuant to this chapter.
 
12      §   -6   Duties of the director of public safety.  The
 
13 director of public safety shall:
 
14      (1)  Review all plans for programs for female offenders;
 
15      (2)  Review grant-in-aid applications or proposals for model
 
16           programs and award grants for programs;
 
17      (3)  Appoint the members of the advisory task force created
 
18           under this chapter and provide staff and other
 
19           administrative services to the advisory task force;
 
20      (4)  Consult with the state advisory task force on the
 
21           female offender in corrections before making a choice
 
22           of the programs to be awarded funding;
 

 
 
 
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 1      (5)  Monitor the delivery of services provided under grant-
 
 2           in-aid programs for female offenders; and
 
 3      (6)  Establish by rule a method of determining the amount of
 
 4           local matching contribution to receive a grant-in-aid
 
 5           under this chapter.
 
 6      §   -7  Juvenile female offenders.  The director of public
 
 7 safety shall collaborate with the departments of human services,
 
 8 health, labor and industrial relations, and education, as well as
 
 9 with representatives of the private sector to develop a
 
10 comprehensive continuum of care to address the gender-specific
 
11 needs of juvenile female offenders."
 
12      SECTION 2.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
 
13 
 
14                         INTRODUCED BY:___________________________