STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2106

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2307

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2307 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CORRECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require a parole hearing and validated risk assessment for inmates who have not been released upon completion of a set minimum term or received an earlier release date;

     (2)  Allow supervised release on parole eighteen months prior to the expiration of the maximum term for Class A felonies, twelve months prior to the expiration of the maximum term for Class B felonies, and six months prior to the expiration of the maximum term for Class C felonies; and

     (3)  Provide the Hawaii Paroling Authority with discretion to deny supervised parole prior to the expiration of a maximum sentence for certain inmates.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Community Alliance on Prisons, and Hawaii Paroling Authority.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu.

     Your Committee finds that inmates who are released at the end of their maximum term of incarceration with no supervision recidivate at a higher rate than inmates placed on parole.  This measure will address the problem by providing the Hawaii Paroling Authority the discretion to grant inmates supervised parole prior to the expiration of their maximum term, thereby 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 Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2307 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair