STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1756

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 182

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Public Safety, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 182 entitled:

"SENATE concurrent RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF A NATIVE HAWAIIAN HEALING PROGRAM ON KAHO‘OLAWE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to reduce recidivism to state correctional facilities.

     Specifically, this measure requests the Department of Public Safety to convene a task force to study the feasibility of creating a reciprocal healing program on the island of Kaho‘olawe.

     Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and three individuals.  Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana submitted comments.

     Your Committees find that Native Hawaiian healing programs could be valuable resources for the rehabilitation and reentry into society of ex-offenders and parolees, thereby reducing the recidivism rate.  Your Committees further find that Native Hawaiian healing programs that emphasize the traditional practice of conflict resolution, ho‘oponopono, and traditional places of refuge and restitution, pu‘uhonua, should be offered throughout the State.

     Your Committees further find that a reciprocal healing program on Kaho‘olawe could be very beneficial to some former inmates, as evidenced by the success of the Drug Court and Girls' Court programs that are already in existence.  However, any use of Kaho‘olawe must benefit its restoration and fully respect its cultural and spiritual nature. 

     This measure was amended to:

     (1)  Request the task force to study the feasibility of establishing Native Hawaiian healing programs for ex‑offenders and parolees throughout the State;

     (2)  Establish that the healing programs should emphasize the practice of ho‘oponopono and the concept of pu‘uhonua;  

     (3)  Establish that the healing programs should establish a pu‘uhonua on each island to facilitate ho‘oponopono;

     (4)  Clarify that, should a reciprocal healing program be developed at Kaho‘olawe, no correctional facility or other structure is to be built and to remove references to Kaho‘olawe housing offenders and being a means to reduce overcrowding and bring inmates back to Hawaii from the mainland;

     (5)  Make the Kaho‘olawe Island Reserve Commission the lead facilitator of the task force with the assistance of the Department of Public Safety;

     (6)  Allow other stakeholders to be on the task force;

     (7)  Ensure the program is open to all ex-offenders and parolees who show an interest in and an ability to benefit from the physically, mentally, and spiritually challenging program;

     (8)  Change the title to "Requesting the establishment of a task force to study the feasibility of a Native Hawaiian healing program that emphasizes the practice of ho‘oponopono and the concept of pu‘uhonua for ex-offenders and parolees to facilitate their rehabilitation and reentry into society and to reduce recidivism," to reflect the amendments to this measure; and

     (9)  Make technical, nonsubstantive changes for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Public Safety that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 182, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 182, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Public Safety,

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair

____________________________ RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair