RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, overcrowding at the State's prison facilities is a problem that has grown steadily over recent years; and

WHEREAS, providing decent, affordable, and secure prison facilities to incarcerate criminals within the State is a perpetual problem that seems to defy an easy solution; and

WHEREAS, due to the ever-increasing need to incarcerate prisoners, the State has resorted to transferring a significant population of prisoners to out-of-state prison facilities; and

WHEREAS, transferring prisoners out-of-state places a psychological and emotional burden on not only the prisoners, but on their loved ones as well; and

WHEREAS, although the State has tried to address the issue of constructing a new prison facility, whenever a potential site is proposed, intense community opposition usually ensues; and

WHEREAS, unfortunately, many communities shun the placement of such facilities in their neighborhoods, leaving prison facility planners searching again and again for sites that would not adversely impact an existing community; and

WHEREAS, the United States Navy currently possesses a number of decommissioned ships that are anchored at Waipio Point on the island of Oahu; and

WHEREAS, these ships could possibly be utilized as prison facilities that could serve as a detention center for nonviolent offenders who were convicted for crimes that are classified as a misdemeanor or lower; and

WHEREAS, the ships, due to their inherent isolation, would provide an additional security barrier; and

WHEREAS, since these ships are anchored offshore, the surrounding community will be minimally impacted; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the United States Navy is requested to partner with the State of Hawaii in developing and implementing a plan to utilize decommissioned naval ships as detention facilities for nonviolent offenders who were convicted for crimes that are classified as a misdemeanor or lower; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor is requested to report to the Legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the 2007 Regular Session on the actions taken by the State to implement this Concurrent Resolution in partnership with the United States Navy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Navy Pacific Fleet, the Governor, the Director of Public Safety, the Director of Health, and the Attorney General.

Report Title:

Decommissioned U.S. Navy Ships; Use as Prisons