STAND. COM. REP. NO. 857
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 614
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Twenty-Ninth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2017
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 614 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 delete the sunset provision for certain sections of Act 139, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, as amended, to make permanent provisions of the Act regarding pretrial risk assessments and parole.
Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Hawaii Paroling Authority, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i, Community Alliance on Prisons, and Ho‘omana Pono, LLC.
Your Committees find that overcrowding in jails and prisons is a growing concern and a situation that can lead to negative impacts for the public. One factor that contributes to overcrowding is the lack of or inefficient granting of parole. Another factor is the length of time that pre-trial offenders are held in custody. The Legislature addressed these problems previously, and as a result, the courts and the Hawaii Paroling Authority have been able to work with greater efficiency. Accordingly, this measure ensures the continued improvement of efficiency in parole decisions and pretrial risk assessment by making a measure previously enacted by the Legislature permanent.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 614 and recommend that it pass Third Reading.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means,
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________________________________ JILL N. TOKUDA, Chair |
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________________________________ GILBERT S.C. KEITH-AGARAN, Chair |
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