Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Health and Human Services and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 879 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a coordinating body to oversee substance abuse programs for all inmates who need substance abuse treatment and monitoring.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Department of Health (DOH), Department of Public Safety (PSD), Community Alliance on Prisons, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, Hawaii Psychiatric Medical Association, Out of Prison Services, Hawaii Substance Coalition, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, T.J. Mahoney and Associates, and a private citizen.

This measure requires the PSD, HPA, Judiciary, DOH, DHS, and any other agency with responsibility for offender substance abuse treatment to establish, by an interagency cooperative agreement, a coordinating body to oversee the development and implementation of offender substance abuse treatment programs. This measure also applies chapter 353G, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to the criminal offender treatment act, to all offenders, rather than repeat offenders, and makes an appropriation.

Your Committees find that there is a growing body of research demonstrating the destructive impact of alcohol and other substance abuse on personal health and health care costs, among other adverse consequences. The result is a social erosion that gives rise to crime. Your Committees further find that a significant percentage of crime, particularly property crimes and domestic abuse, are attributable to alcohol and substance abuse. Incarceration should be a time of treatment for inmates suffering from addiction. The availability and success of inmate treatment translates directly into the rate of recidivism.

The intent of this measure is to provide and fortify inmate treatment programs. Current responsibility for inmate programs is shared among the DOH, PSD, Hawaii Paroling Authority, and Judiciary. This measure will coordinate these agencies to optimize services and reduce duplication.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health and Human Services and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 879, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 879, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.