Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 23 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the counties, the family courts in all circuits, and the Office of Youth Services to collaborate on the development of an action plan that assesses the needs of their at-risk youth, identifies programs, services, and strategies to address their needs, and provides safe alternatives to incarceration for youth on each island.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Office of Youth Services, the Hawaii Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council, Hawaii Disability Rights Center, Hawaii Juvenile Justice Project, Hawaii Youth Services Network, the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committees find that delinquent youth with mental health, substance abuse, and behavioral problems are often incarcerated because there are a limited number of programs in the community to treat them. These youth end up in highly secure and expensive settings for low-risk behavior that could be more efficiently treated with good community-based care. More active involvement of communities and local governments in assessing the needs of their at-risk youth and families is necessary to ensure the development of programs, services, and strategies to address these concerns.

Your Committees believe that the development of an action plan that provides safe alternatives to incarceration for youth on each island will lead to removing barriers and developing safe alternatives to incarceration for youth on each island.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Intergovernmental Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 23, as amended herein, recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 23, S.D. 1.