STAND. COM. REP. NO.  139-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2147

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2147 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PAROLE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to provide incentives for inmate rehabilitation by establishing an earned-time program to allow inmates who make consistent progress in completing rehabilitative programs eligible for parole.

     The Community Alliance on Prisons and a concerned individual supported this bill.  The Hawaii Paroling Authority, Department of the Attorney General and City and County of Honolulu's Department of the Prosecuting Attorney opposed this bill.  The Department of Public Safety provided comments.

     Your Committee finds that it is important to provide inmates with proper incentives to work toward rehabilitation and reentry to the community.  However, while other states have also used similar incentive programs as provided by this bill, your Committee respectfully requests the Committee on Judiciary to examine the effects this may have on the victims of the inmates who would benefit from incentive programs.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2147 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs,

____________________________

CINDY EVANS, Chair