CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 96

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2009

RE:    S.B. No. 539

       S.D. 1

       H.D. 1

       C.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 539, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CORRECTIONS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this measure is to ensure that the reentry needs of persons committed to correctional facilities are being evaluated and met in an effective and appropriate manner by establishing a Reentry Intake Services Division within the Department of Public Safety under chapter 353C, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     This measure also requires the newly established Reentry Intake Services Division to:

     (1)  Work closely and collaborate with county furlough programs managed by the Department's Institutions Division, the Department's Corrections Program Services Division, and the Hawaii Paroling Authority; and

     (2)  Assume the programs and services of the Department's existing Intake Service Center Division.

     Your Committee on Conference finds that expanding upon the services and programs that the existing Intake Service Center Division provides to include reentry services and programs is complementary to the initiatives and goals of the existing Intake Service Center Division.  Your Committee on Conference also finds that requiring close collaboration with the furlough programs of each county, the Hawaii Paroling Authority, and the Corrections Program Services Division will ensure that the reentry needs of inmates will be met in a successful manner.  However, your Committee on Conference believes that these statutory provisions are more appropriately placed in chapter 353, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to Corrections.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Establishing "Reentry Intake Service Centers", rather than a Reentry Intake Service Division, by renaming the Intake Service Centers currently established in section 353-10, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (2)  Requiring the renamed Centers to assume the additional responsibility of providing for the successful reentry of inmates into the community by evaluating and addressing the present and future reentry needs of inmates and working closely and collaboratively with furlough programs in the counties, the Hawaii Paroling Authority, and the Corrections Program Services Division;

     (3)  Sunsetting the Legislative Oversight Committee established by section 353H-21, Hawaii Revised Statutes;

     (4)  Requiring the establishment of a Reentry Commission within the Department of Public Safety to work with the Department in monitoring and reviewing the comprehensive offender reentry program;

     (5)  Changing the effective date to September 1, 2009; and

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purpose of consistency.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 539, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 539, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ FAYE HANOHANO, Co-Chair	____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair
____________________________ MARILYN B. LEE, Co-Chair