SCR172 SD1.DOC

WHEREAS, Hawaii currently has over six thousand offenders incarcerated with about two thousand serving their prison sentences on the mainland; and

WHEREAS, many offenders are incarcerated due to technical violations of their parole and not for committing another felony; and

WHEREAS, many offenders are incarcerated due to insufficient timely programming or lack of furlough bed spaces to assist in their final transition; and

WHEREAS, many inmates are non-violent low risk offenders who could be placed in community-based programming with proper oversight; and

WHEREAS, twenty-four seven global positioning system (GPS) electronic monitoring can also be utilized by the Department of Public Safety to monitor offenders outside of prison facilities; and

WHEREAS, day reporting centers have been successful in jurisdictions across the nation, allowing offenders to report back or check-in to public safety officials on a consistent basis and be involved in programming; and

WHEREAS, consistent drug testing can also be a deterrent for offenders who are released from prison; and

WHEREAS, there are non-profit organizations and churches that are willing to volunteer with and assist offenders who have been released from prison; and

WHEREAS, the State currently spends approximately $134 per day to house an inmate in Hawaii and approximately $74 a day to house an inmate on the mainland; and

WHEREAS, tax dollars spent on the mainland to house inmates would benefit Hawaii if those dollars can be redirected locally in programs, staff, and facilities; and

WHEREAS, alternatives to incarceration in a prison or jail are less expensive for taxpayers; and

WHEREAS, alternatives to incarceration can be more beneficial for those offenders with children and families; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Public Safety and the Hawaii Paroling Authority are requested to identify up to five hundred non-violent inmates by October 1, 2010 who could be involved in a day reporting center and/or also be monitored through twenty-four hours/seven days a week GPS electronic means; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Public Safety is requested to develop a plan to add more offenders to the Expanded Work Furlough Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Public Safety is requested to look into establishing a day reporting center at the Oahu Community Correctional Center and at Halawa Correctional Facility by using existing space or erecting pre-fabricated modular buildings on site; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Public Safety implement in Hawaii, and look at, early release programs in other jurisdictions that have successfully released offenders into the community as stated in Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 125, S.D. 1, 2008, "Requesting The Department Of Public Safety To Research And Study Early Parole Eligibility Programs That Reduce The Minimum Period Of Time That Hawaii Inmates Must Wait To Become Eligible For Parole"; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Public Safety aggressively collaborate with churches, non-profit organizations, and other entities that are willing to provide free assistance and service to the State in these difficult economic times; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Public Safety and the Hawaii Paroling Authority report to the Legislature on the progress made in implementing this measure no later than October 1, 2010, including the following information:

(1) The number of paroles revoked for technical violations and the nature of those violations;

(2) The number inmates and parolees eligible for release;

(3) A plan to increase the number of individuals on the Expanded Work Furlough Program;

(4) The feasibility of establishing a day reporting center at the Oahu Community Correctional Center and the Halawa Correctional Facility;

(5) Implementation of an early release and re-entry program for Hawaii inmates, and a description of successful early release and re-entry programs in other jurisdictions; and

(6) A plan to expand connections with community churches and organizations to facilitate the reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution shall be transmitted to the Governor, the Director of Public Safety, and the Administrator of the Hawaii Paroling Authority.

Report Title:

DPS; Day Reporting; Monitoring

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	172
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII