STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1472

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 115

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 115 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE HAWAII PAROLING AUTHORITY TO THOROUGHLY CONSIDER GRANTING PAROLE TO CLASS A, CLASS B, AND CLASS C FELONS BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THEIR MAXIMUM TERMS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Hawaii Paroling Authority to thoroughly consider granting parole to individuals serving sentences for Class A, B, and C felonies before the expiration of their maximum term.

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Community Alliance on Prisons.

     Your Committee finds that the recidivism rate for inmates who serve their maximum term and are released without supervision is significantly higher than the recidivism rate for inmates who are placed on parole.  Your Committee finds that the intent of this measure is to reduce recidivism by affording inmates a supervised transition, rather than simply being released from prison directly into the community.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 115 and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair