HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	117
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE  RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO DEVELOP A PLAN TO ESTABLISH A STATEWIDE INMATE CONSERVATION CORPS PILOT PROGRAM.

     WHEREAS, 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; and

     WHEREAS, a similar program using Hawaii correction facilities' inmates as conservation corps participants could work to protect and preserve Hawaii's natural environment and would prove to be beneficial for the state; and

     WHEREAS, inmates who have earned community custody status can be educated and trained to help manage and protect Hawaii's natural resources; and

     WHEREAS, 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; and

     WHEREAS, being part of a conservation corps would encourage leadership, teamwork, communication, and responsibility among the inmate participants; and

     WHEREAS, an inmate conservation corps would ideally 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 20 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;

now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, that the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) and the Department of Public Safety (PSD) are requested to develop a plan to establish a statewide Inmate Conservation Corps Pilot Program (Pilot Program) to perform resource conservation projects, including forest fire prevention, forest and watershed management, maintenance of recreation areas, fish and game management, soil conservation, forest and watershed re-vegetation, preventive maintenance or reconstruction of levees, or any other work necessary to prevent flood damage; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DLNR and PSD are requested to suggest qualifications for participation in the Pilot Program, taking into consideration such factors as security risks, education, and physical fitness; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DLNR and PSD are requested to determine estimated staffing and transportation requirements to implement the Pilot Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DLNR and PSD should establish annual costs that would be incurred and any outside funding sources, including available grants and subsidies that could be secured to offset these costs, and possible fees collected for the work provided by the Pilot Program; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DLNR and PSD are requested to present their plan for a Pilot Program in a joint report to the Legislature including proposed legislation, if any, no later than 30 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Director of Public Safety, and the respective Mayors of Hawaii County, Maui County, Kauai County, and the City and County of Honolulu.

Report Title:

Resource Conservation; Inmate Conservation Corps Pilot Program