STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3232

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 160

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 160 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU TO REVIEW PAROLE POLICIES IN HAWAII AND OTHER JURISDICTIONS TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH PAROLE POLICIES IN HAWAII CONTRIBUTE TO THE PRISON POPULATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Legislative Reference Bureau to review and compare the parole policies of this State with other jurisdictions in order to determine the impact of Hawaii's parole policies on the prison population in this State.

     Written testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Paroling Authority, Community Alliance on Prisons, Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i, and two individual citizens.  Oral testimony in support of this measure was given by one individual citizen.  Written comments on this measure were submitted by the Legislative Reference Bureau.

     Your Committee finds that the parole policies and procedures in this State serve important purposes, such as protecting our communities and relieving the correctional system from overcrowding.  An independent review and examination of the parole policies in Hawaii and other jurisdictions by the Legislative Reference Bureau would benefit the correctional system in Hawaii.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 160, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 160, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair