STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1279

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

RE:   H.C.R. No. 208

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 208 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING AND GENERAL SERVICES TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A PUBLIC-PRIVATE CORRECTIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF PRISONS IN HAWAII,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to address overcrowding, inefficiency, and the financial burden of Hawaii prisons, and the societal and management problems at mainland prisons that house Hawaii offenders, by requesting the Department of Public Safety and Department of Accounting and General Services to:

     (1)  Study the feasibility of establishing a public-private correctional partnership for the construction and operation of prisons in Hawaii;

     (2)  Return inmates who are incarcerated on the mainland;

     (3)  Close inefficient and aging prison facilities within the State;

     (4)  Identify specific locations that would be selected as sites for new prisons in Hawaii, and hold at least one public hearing on the topic; and

     (5)  Produce a report on estimated construction costs, annual debt service costs, and annual operating costs for a new, publicly financed and operated prison to be used as a benchmark for comparison to a public-private project.

     The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii opposed this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 208 and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs,

____________________________

for HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair