STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2972

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2514

       H.D. 3

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 2514, H.D. 3, entitled:

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

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to address issues in the public safety system involving pretrial process, parole, and payment of restitution, in order to reduce costly inefficiencies, hold offenders more accountable, and reinvest savings in more effective public safety strategies.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor, Department of Public Safety, Office of the Public Defender, Hawaii Paroling Authority, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Crime Victim Compensation Commission, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Hawaii Government Employees Association, Maui Prosecuting Attorney, Community Alliance on Prisons, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, Council on State Governments Justice Center, and four individuals.  Testimony in opposition was received from Da Kine Bail Bonds.  Comments were received from the Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney, Kauai Prosecuting Attorney, The Sex Abuse Treatment Center, and Freedom Bail Bonds.

     Your Committees find that this measure is an outgrowth of the Justice Reinvestment Working Group and the Council of State Governments Justice Center to study, analyze, and make recommendations for improvements in the criminal justice system and corrections system in all fifty states.  The analysis revealed that crime and victimization rates in Hawaii have declined, as have arrests and felony convictions for violent and property crimes.  However, the population under probation supervision and incarceration has not declined, and in some cases has increased.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Deleting all of its contents except for the language that increases the membership of the Hawaii Paroling Authority to one full-time Chairperson and four part-time members, and makes an appropriation for that purpose; and

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2012.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2514, H.D. 3, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2514, H.D. 3, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs and Judiciary and Labor,

____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Chair

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair