REPORT TITLE: 
Female parity in corrections


DESCRIPTION:
Provides for female parity in corrections.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           1847
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                H.D.1
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 appropriate to the profile and
 
11 needs of the female offender and equivalent to programming
 
12 offered male persons convicted of crimes or delinquencies.
 
13 Programs for female offenders shall be based upon psychosocial
 
14 developmental needs of female offenders, as well as other
 
15 appropriate factors.
 
16      §  -2  Model programs.  Within the limits of money
 
17 appropriated, the director of public safety shall provide model
 
18 programs for female offenders that respond to statewide needs and
 
19 geographical areas and shall award grants for the programs.  The
 
20 programs shall:
 

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

 
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 1 recommend programming needs to the department of public safety
 
 2 and the office of youth services; and identify other issues
 
 3 related to the appropriate programming of the adult and juvenile
 
 4 female offender.
 
 5      §  -4 Planning grant.  To assist the advisory council to
 
 6 develop a plan to increase interagency cooperation; and identify
 
 7 programming and other needs of the adult and juvenile female
 
 8 offender, the director of public safety, from funds appropriated
 
 9 by the legislature specifically for that purpose, shall make a
 
10 planning grant available.
 
11      §   -5   Duties of the director of public safety.  The
 
12 director of public safety shall:
 
13      (1)  Review all plans for programs for female offenders;
 
14      (2)  Review planning proposals from the advisory council and
 
15           award planning grants;
 
16      (3)  Appoint the members of the advisory council created
 
17           under this chapter and provide staff and other
 
18           administrative services to the advisory council; and
 
19      (4)  Monitor the planning grant expenditures of the advisory
 
20           council.
 
21      §   -6  Female offenders.  The director of public safety
 
22 shall collaborate with the departments of human services, health,
 
23 labor and industrial relations, and education, as well as with
 

 
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 1 representatives of the private sector to develop a comprehensive
 
 2 continuum of care to address the gender-specific needs of female
 
 3 offenders."
 
 4      SECTION 2.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.