Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 1775 entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide a child-friendly visitation center at any correctional facility to facilitate appropriate child visitation with incarcerated parents. This measure also authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds for the construction and design of child-friendly visitation centers at these facilities.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Public Safety, Good Beginnings Alliance, Blueprint for Change, Hawaii Coalition for Dads, Hawaii Juvenile Justice Project, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and two individuals.

Your Committees find that studies indicate that children of incarcerated individuals suffer from a multitude of negative consequences when they are separated from that parent at a young age. It is vital that an environment be developed and nurtured within a prison setting that fosters the development of emotional, psychological, and communication skills in both the parent and child.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1775, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1775, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.