STAND. COM. REP. NO.  126-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   H.B. No. 2001

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, to which was referred H.B. No. 2001 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a temporary commission on criminal justice and sentencing reform to develop a statewide plan of sentencing and corrections policies that would reduce the State's prison population by 25 per cent by year 2025, reduce spending on corrections, and reinvest the savings gained in strategies to increase public safety and reduce recidivism.

Hoomana Pono, LLC; Community Alliance on Prisons; Stolen Stuff Hawaii; and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney opposed this measure.  The Department of Public Safety and Office of Hawaiian Affairs submitted comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the commission's specific targets regarding the reduction of the State's prison population to an unspecified percentage by an unspecified year;

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2001, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2001, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety,

____________________________

GREGG TAKAYAMA, Chair