STAND. COM. REP. NO.  68-10

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

RE:   H.B. No. 2276

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 2276 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to improve Hawaii's correctional system by requiring:

     (1)  A correctional impact statement to be conducted on, and accompany, any legislation that creates a new offense, amends an existing offense, or changes existing sentencing, parole, or probation procedures; and

     (2)  The Corrections Population Management Commission to assist in the preparation of a correctional impact statement to assess any impact the legislation will have on the corrections population.

     The Community Alliance on Prisons, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, and several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The Department of Public Safety (PSD) opposed this measure.

     Correctional impact statements are tools to give policymakers valuable information to help make informed decisions when deciding to amend or create offenses or to change sentencing, parole, or probation procedures.  This will help policymakers determine the impact of sentencing legislation, which may have a tremendous impact on Hawaii's corrections system, prior to its passage.  Finding ways of addressing Hawaii's correctional needs, our already overcrowded prison system, and a rising corrections budget without jeopardizing public safety will provide the most benefit to the general public.  Your Committee finds that this measure addresses these issues.

     You Committee finds that the Sentencing Simulation Model Project (SSMP) was developed pursuant to Act 267, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000, to assist the Corrections Population Management Commission (Commission) in its mission of creating appropriate planning strategies.  Under the guidance of the Commission, the overall goal of the SSMP is to provide the Commission with a statewide statistical model inclusive of all aspects of the adult criminal justice system.  This SSMP acts as a centralized statewide data repository for this information, accessing it for use in the model, and manipulating it within the simulation framework to project systemic changes brought about by revisions to current policies.  As the SSMP has already been developed, it will enable the Commission to assist in the preparation of a correctional impact statement as called for by this bill.

     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. 2276 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Legislative Management.

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

____________________________

FAYE HANOHANO, Chair