STAND. COM. REP. NO.  581

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

RE:   H.B. No. 518

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 518 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COMMITTED PERSONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to address prison overcrowding while ensuring public safety by authorizing the Department of Public Safety and Hawaii Paroling Authority to release nonviolent committed persons provided the person released wears an electronic monitoring device.

     The Community Alliance on Prisons, the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, the African-American Lawyers Association, and several concerned individuals supported this bill.  The Department of Public Safety and Hawaii Paroling Authority opposed this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 518 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

FAYE HANOHANO, Chair