Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1643 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to establish puuhonua healing centers on the big island.

Puuhonua healing centers employ restorative justice to provide alternative prison programs for youth and adults. Under this bill, the puuhonua healing centers would be administered by E Ho'opakele, a big island organization led by Kupuna who are practitioners of ho'oponopono, a Hawaiian practice of mediating or settling disputes. E Ho'opakele has been working with the courts in Hilo to help nonviolent offenders connect to the 'aina and their culture to guide them toward better choices. The puuhonua healing centers are an alternative to the violent and repressive conditions often found in prisons.

Your Committee has amended the bill by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1643, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1643, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.