STAND. COM. REP. NO. 477-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 1741

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Corrections, Military, & Veterans, to which was referred H.B. No. 1741 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILDREN AND FAMILY OF INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Human Services to continue to lead a working group to address visitation and support needs of children and families of incarcerated individuals;

(2) Require the Department of Human Services to work with the Department of Public Safety and other entities to establish a Pilot Visitation and Family Resource Center at Waiawa Correctional Facility on Oahu;

(3) Require the working group to submit a report to the Legislature before the Regular Session of 2023; and

(4) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Correctional System Oversight Commission, Hawaii Paroling Authority, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, Hawai‘i Association of School Psychologists, Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!, Community Alliance on Prisons, Blueprint for Change, Early Childhood Action Strategy, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and ten individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Department of Human Services, Department of Budget and Finance, and Office of Information Practices.

Your Committee finds that any network of transitional services must include meaningful reconnection with families, particularly if the incarcerated individual has children. National data shows that incarcerated individuals who maintain regular contact with their children and families are less likely to recidivate when they reenter society. Moreover, a visitation and resource center would help children deal with the trauma caused by parental incarceration.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the working group to determine the anticipated initial and annual costs to run a sustainable Pilot Visitation and Family Resource Center Program at Waiawa correctional facility on Oahu and include that cost in its report to the Legislature;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As this measure proceeds through the legislative process, your Committee requests that the comments of the Office of Information Practices concerning the Sunshine Law, part I of chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes, be considered.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Corrections, Military, & Veterans that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1741, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1741, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Corrections, Military, & Veterans,

____________________________

TAKASHI OHNO, Chair