WHEREAS, Hawaii's jails and prisons are extremely overcrowded, with the Maui Community Correctional Center designed for two hundred nine inmates, but housing three hundred forty inmates as of February 20, 2006; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Public Safety has previously requested and received moneys from the Legislature to plan and design a new facility located on the island of Maui for the purpose of housing detainees and sentenced felons from the currently overcrowded Maui Community Correctional Center; and

WHEREAS, the planning process for the new facility, which has been underway for the past two years, has included consideration of land situated in Puunene as a feasible option for the new facility; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature is not currently aware of the Department of Public Safety's progress with respect to this project and the status of the Department's expansion, design or construction plans for the Maui Community Correctional Center; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that the Department of Public Safety is requested to submit a report on the status of the Puunene project to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the report include the progress achieved during the planning and design phases of the Puunene project, any challenges and issues, funding concerns, proposed legislation, if necessary, and any other factors relevant to the completion of the project; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and the Director of Public Safety.

Report Title:

Maui Community Correctional Facility; Puunene