Report Title:

Prisons; Native Hawaiians; Offender Reentry Legislative Oversight Committee

Description:

Requires the offender reentry legislative oversight committee to establish a work group to conduct a study and convene public hearings to determine the factors that contribute to the over-representation of native Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians in the State's prisons and jails.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2887
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to native hawaiians.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  Act 8, First Special Session Laws of Hawaii of 2007, is amended by amending the first new section in Part III of section 2 to read as follows:

"PART II.  OFFENDER REENTRY LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

§   -21  Legislative oversight committee; established. (a)  There is established a legislative oversight committee to ensure transparency in the operations of the department, analyze the effectiveness of the department's governance, operations, and administration of its programs and services, evaluate the department's purchase of community-based programs and services, and review any other issues impacting the department.  The legislative oversight committee shall conduct site visits and have access to all areas in correctional facilities, within the constraints of safety and security.  The legislative oversight committee shall meet publicly for input and recommendations for the department.  The legislative oversight committee shall be composed of members of the standing committees of both houses of the legislature whose purview is to oversee the department.  The legislative oversight committee shall be jointly chaired by the legislative standing committees' respective chairs.

(b)  The legislative oversight committee shall establish a work group to conduct a study and convene public hearings to determine the factors that contribute to the over-representation of native Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians in the State's prisons and jails.  While approximately twenty per cent of the State's population is of native Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian ancestry, more than forty per cent of the total population of incarcerated felons in the State may be native Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian.  It shall be the priority of the work group to examine the reporting system used by the department of public safety to determine the number of incarcerated native Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians in the correctional system to ensure that the methodology employed is not producing inaccurate or misleading statistics.

(c)  Representatives from government agencies such as the department of public safety, department of health, department of human services, Hawaii paroling authority, office of Hawaiian affairs, the judiciary, legislative reference bureau, and the University of Hawaii are invited to participate.  Nonprofit organizations, community groups, and other parties interested in the tremendous incarceration rate of native Hawaiians may also participate.

(d)   The work group shall gather statistics and data on past and present incarcerated native Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians, conduct data analysis, and make recommendations to reduce the percentage of incarcerated native Hawaiians and part-Hawaiians.  The work group shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature no later than October 1, 2009."

     SECTION 2.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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