STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1017

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 358

       H.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 358, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DRUG TREATMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to promote the rehabilitation of convicted drug offenders through alternatives to incarceration by authorizing the placement of certain drug offenders in secure drug treatment facilities.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by one private organization and two individuals.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that providing convicted drug offenders with drug rehabilitation programs in a secure drug treatment facility will reduce the convicted drug offender's rate of recidivism upon release and also help convicted drug offenders develop an important and meaningful role in society.  Your Committee also finds that a secure drug treatment facility will create an inspirational environment that is more conducive to successful drug rehabilitation than is currently provided in the environments of many other traditional drug rehabilitation programs.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 358, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations.

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

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair