STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1498

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 664

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 664, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Authorize the Department of Public Safety to develop a new Oahu Community Correctional Center; and

(2) Appropriate funds for an oversight coordinator position and necessary support staff positions for the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Accounting and General Services, Miyawaki Group, Hawai‘i Psychological Association, and one individual. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Community Alliance on Prisons, Young Progressives Demanding Action, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i, Ohana Ho‘opakele, and eight individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Office of the Public Defender, and Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committee finds that this measure will ensure that any new correctional facility will have programming focused on cultural-based rehabilitation and that best practices will be taken into account concerning the design of the facility and ways it can better serve the inmate population.

Your Committee further finds that the Legislature established the oversight coordinator position in 2019 when it established the Hawaii Correctional Oversight Commission. The Legislature specified the salary of the oversight coordinator, mandated that the oversight coordinator devote their entire time and attention to the administration of the Commission, and authorized the oversight coordinator to employ persons to perform the functions of the Commission. Nonetheless, to date, the Commission has operated without the benefit of an oversight coordinator or support staff.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 664, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair