STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2972

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2389

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2389, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PAROLE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to specify that funds furnished by the Hawaii Paroling Authority to persons discharged or paroled shall be subject to the availability of legislative appropriations authorized and allocated for that purpose.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Paroling Authority, Community Alliance on Prisons, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and Ho‘omanapono Political Action Committee.

Your Committee finds that an efficient and effective parole system is essential to the proper functioning of the State's corrections system. The law provides that the Hawaii Paroling Authority, in its discretion, may upon discharge or parole of a committed person, provide the person with up to $200 to meet the person's immediate needs. This measure clarifies that provision by ensuring the Paroling Authority shall only provide these funds if legislative appropriations for this specific purpose have been authorized and allocated to the Authority. Your Committee additionally finds that it is important to ensure that any funds appropriated to provide for the immediate needs of discharged or paroled persons be used only for that purpose.

Further, your Committee finds that the provision of funds alone is often insufficient to meet the immediate needs of a committed person being discharged or paroled and that appropriate resource referrals are equally important to ensuing a successful transition back into society.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring that committed persons be given appropriate resource referrals before being furnished with funds to meet the committed person's immediate needs by the Hawaii Paroling Authority at discharge or parole;

(2) Prohibiting the Hawaii Paroling Authority from using funds appropriated for the purpose of providing for the immediate needs of discharged or paroled persons for any other purpose; and

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

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 H.B. No. 2389, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2389, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair