STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1384

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 734

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 734, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

Interstate Compact for Juveniles

G.M. No. 734

JANICE YAMADA, for a term to expire 6-30-2014,

begs leave to report as follows:

     Your Committee has reviewed the personal history and resume and finds Janice Yamada to possess the requisite qualifications to be nominated to the Interstate Compact for Juveniles.

     Testimony in support of the nomination of Janice Yamada was submitted by the Judiciary.

     Janice Yamada is currently the Deputy Chief Court Administrator of the First Circuit Court, where she is responsible for the building and operations in the Ronald T.Y. Moon Complex in Kapolei and works with the Family Court judges, staff, and the public to address any concerns regarding operations.  She also provides oversight and guidance to the Juvenile and Adult Client Services Branches.  From 2007 until her appointment as Deputy Chief Court Administrator in February 2011, Ms. Yamada served as the Probation Administrator of the Adult Client Services Branch.  That position required overall administration for the Adult Client Services Branch, which provides services to all First Circuit Criminal Courts and supervises all offenders on probation and deferral on the island of Oahu.  During that time period, she also served as the Compact Administrator for the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision, for which she represented the State of Hawaii in matters related to interstate movement of probationers and parolees through the evolving National Compact on Interstate Supervision of Adult Offenders.  From 1995 to 2007, Ms. Yamada served in the Adult Client Services Branch as a Social Worker VI (Intake/Pre-sentence Branch Administrator), pursuant to which she was responsible for the organization, operations, and directions of four units in the Intake/Pre-sentence Branch.  Prior to that time, she worked in the Judiciary within the Adult Probation Division and Family Court-Adult Services and in the Department of Social Services and Housing for eighteen years.

     Testimony submitted by the Judiciary in support of the confirmation of Ms. Yamada explained that Ms. Yamada served on the Interstate Commission for Juveniles as the Compact Administrator for the Commission and as a member of the State Council for Interstate Juvenile Supervision.  As described by the Judiciary in its testimony, Ms. Yamada's involvement as the Compact Administrator for the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision was essential in the development of the Adult Offender Compact in the State of Hawaii, and through her service on that commission, Ms. Yamada gained the knowledge and skills to represent Hawaii in matters of the Interstate Commission for Juveniles. 

Your Committee finds that because the Juvenile Compact is in its first year of implementation, the State of Hawaii will benefit from Ms. Yamada's experience of the implementation of the Adult Compact in the State because the Juvenile Compact is modeled after the Adult Offender Interstate Compact.  Your Committee also finds that Ms. Yamada is eminently qualified, and her experience, knowledge, and skills will be invaluable to the Interstate Compact for Juveniles.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________

CLAYTON HEE, Chair