STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3612

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.C.R. No. 85

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 85, H.D. 2, entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TASK FORCE TO STUDY EFFECTIVE INCARCERATION POLICIES TO IMPROVE HAWAII'S CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the establishment of a task force to:

     (1)  Study effective incarceration policies in Hawaii and other jurisdictions; and

     (2)  Suggest improvements for Hawaii's correctional system, including recommendations for design of future correctional facilities.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Department of Public Safety, Hawaii Paroling Authority, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, The CHOW Project, Community Alliance on Prisons, and ten individuals.

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau.

     Your Committee believes that the planned relocation of the Oahu Community Correctional Center provides a timely opportunity for public safety stakeholders to evaluate Hawaii's correctional system.  Your Committee finds that Hawaii's criminal justice system could benefit from the implementation of effective incarceration policies, programs, and best practices that are designed to reduce correctional spending, alleviate inmate overcrowding at correctional facilities, lower recidivism, and address other challenges.  Your Committee believes that a study that identifies and analyzes the effective incarceration policies in other jurisdictions would provide Hawaii with solutions to improve its correctional system.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, or the Chairperson's designee, to the task force;

     (2)  Clarifying that the Director of Public Safety is to appoint two former prison inmates, one male and one female, to serve on the task force;

     (3)  Requiring the task force to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature prior to the Regular Session of 2018, rather than the Regular Session of 2017;

     (4)  Requiring that, before August 1, 2017, the task force submit a draft of the report to the Legislative Reference Bureau, including any other information and materials deemed necessary by the Bureau for the preparation of the final report; and

     (5)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of consistency, clarity, and style.

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 85, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 85, H.D. 2, S.D. 1.

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

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair