HB2609

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the department of land and natural resources' youth conservation corps program helps participants develop a sense of stewardship of the land and build valuable work experience through community service, training, and education. A similar program utilizing Hawaii inmates as conservation corps participants would also be beneficial for the State.

Inmates who have earned community custody status can be educated and trained to become part of managing and protecting Hawaii's natural resources. An inmate conservation corps can provide assistance with trail maintenance, native plant restoration, invasive species control, wildlife management, fence building, stream and coastal restoration, and other conservation work. Moreover, being part of a conservation corps would encourage leadership, teamwork, communication, and responsibility among the inmate participants.

The purpose of this Act is preserve and protect Hawaii's natural environment through a conservation corps comprised of inmate work crews.

SECTION 2. Chapter 193, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§193-A Inmate conservation corps program; establishment. The department of land and natural resources in consultation with the department of public safety shall plan, establish, develop, and administer an inmate conservation corps for the purpose of providing assistance with the management and protection of Hawaii's natural resources. Participants in the program shall be from a minimum security correctional facility or have attained community custody level and have completed appropriate basic education and training.

(b) The department is authorized to solicit, accept, and expend appropriations and grants from public and private sources and may accept donations to finance the projects, programs, and activities of the inmate conservation corps.

(c) The department may enter into an agreement or agreements with the department of public safety, any other state agency or agencies, or with the appropriate federal authority to accomplish the purposes of this section.

(d) The inmate conservation corps program shall include activities that promote:

(1) The importance of responsibility, dependability, punctuality, and good attendance;

(2) Worksite relations skills, including taking constructive criticism, working cooperatively with other corps members and staff, and western and traditional Hawaiian job skills;

(3) Life skills training, including instruction in conflict resolution, job search skills, personal money management, goal setting, and decision making; and

(4) Education for twenty hours each week on subjects such as genealogy, Hawaiian language and traditional practices, reading, math, communication skills, English language proficiency, academic preparation, and work-specific skills."

SECTION 3. (a) The department of public safety shall conduct a pilot program on the island of Hawaii that utilizes select inmates to participate in the department of land natural resources inmate conservation corps program. The participants may perform resource conservation projects including, but not limited to, forest fire prevention, forest and watershed management, maintenance of recreation areas, fish and game management, soil conservation, forest and watershed re-vegation, preventive maintenance or reconstruction of levees, or any other work necessary to prevent flood damage.

(b) The participants of the pilot program shall:

(1) Be classified as minimum security risk or housed at a minimum security correctional facility; or

(2) Have attained community custody status; and

(3) Have completed appropriate basic education and training so as to be prepared for additional education and training in natural resources conservation.

(1) Ensure that participants are physically fit for work outdoors and are likely to be successful in completing conservation projects planned and developed by the department of land and natural resources as provided for in section 193-A, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

(2) Provide supervision for all inmate conservation corps program participants at all projects, and for each time the corps is at a site outside of a correctional facility; and

(3) Determine any fee to be collected for services provided by the corps.

SECTION 4. Not later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session of the legislature, the department of land and natural resources and the department of public safety shall submit a joint annual report to the legislature of all its activities relating to the inmate conservation corps, including:

(1) An accounting of all moneys received and disbursed;

(2) Detailed descriptions of the types of activities and services offered to corps members;

(3) Statistics indicating the number of inmates participating in the corps program and types of community members directly served by the program;

(4) The benefits to the community and natural environment of the corps program; and

(5) Success rates in helping corps members attain personal achievement and growth.

SECTION 5. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 for the department of land and natural resources to plan, establish, develop, and administer an inmate conservation corps for the purpose of providing assistance with the management and protection of Hawaii's natural resources.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of land and natural resources, and the department of public safety, as appropriate, for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 6. In codifying the new section added by section 2 of this Act, the revisor of statutes shall substitute an appropriate section number for the letter used in designating the new section in this Act.

SECTION 7. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2008.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2609
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII