Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2949, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide the Office of the Ombudsman the authority to investigate out-of-state, private, or federal correctional facilities or institutions that have contracts with the Department of Public Safety to house Hawaii's inmates.

Your Committee finds that, because almost fifty per cent of Hawaii's inmates are transferred to out-of-state facilities, it is necessary to give the Office of the Ombudsman the authority to investigate complaints against an out-of-state facility and cases of death or riot at an out-of-state facility. Your Committee further finds that, as the Office of the Ombudsman currently has authority to address issues relating to prisoners at state facilities, it is appropriate to extend the scope of those duties to all prisoners, wherever they may be housed.

Your Committee amended this measure by:

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2949, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2949, S.D. 2.