STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3634

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 260

       H.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Education and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs and Public Safety, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 260, H.D. 1, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, AND NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND HAWAII COMMUNITY COLLEGE, TO CONDUCT A STUDY ON THE PROGRAMS DEVELOPED BY THE KULANI CORRECTIONAL FACILITY THAT WOULD AID IN THE REVITALIZATION OF STATE AGRICULTURE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Community College, to conduct a study on the programs developed by the Kulani Correctional Facility that would aid in the revitalization of state agriculture.

     Testimony in support of the measure was submitted by the Department of Agriculture and the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management of the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Comments on the measure were also submitted by the Department of Public Safety

     Your Committees find that the agriculture industry in Hawaii has undergone massive changes over the past few decades.  Currently there is a movement toward the revitalization and reformation of the industry, which requires the support of the State in developing innovative and alternative programs and initiatives.  Your Committees further find that the Kulani Correctional Facility, in collaboration with Hawaii Community College, has established a greenhouse program wherein inmates build and maintain the facilities and learn other relevant agricultural skills.  Hawaii Community College also offers a non-credit certificate to Kulani Correctional Facility inmates for participation in the program. 

     This measure requests the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Natural Resource Management at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Community College, to conduct a study on the agriculture-related programs developed by the Kulani Correctional Facility.  Your Committees believe that this study will help to rehabilitate and facilitate reentry into the workforce for inmates while also helping to revitalize the agriculture industry in Hawaii.  Your Committees recognize the Department of Public Safety's concerns regarding the scope of the study; however, your Committees maintain that the purpose of the measure is for a study to be conducted on programs the Kulani Correctional Facility has developed to ascertain their efficacy and not to dictate, at this time, what programs should be established.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs and Public Safety that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 260, H.D. 1, and recommend its adoption.

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

____________________________ JILL TOKUDA, Chair	____________________________ NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair
	____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair