STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2080

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2373

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2373 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OFFENDER REENTRY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for a program named "Project Reset" which will help prisoners with reentry, rehabilitation, employment, and housing post-sentence.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Office of the Public Defender, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Human Services, and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that inmates who were homeless prior to their arrest as well as those who lost their housing while incarcerated have the best chance of success when released directly into a treatment program. However, not all inmates have access to those resources because there are not enough beds available for every inmate that qualifies for early release to a program. Furthermore, coordinating inmate release to treatment programs has been extremely difficult during the pandemic due to quarantine and social distancing requirements at programs as well as numerous outbreaks at correctional facilities. Some inmates are released from custody with no money, no identification, no housing, no food, no bus pass, and no phone. Due to the lack of comprehensive programs that focus on transitioning inmates through the process of reentry, rehabilitation, employment, and housing, many inmates either immediately join the ranks of the homeless upon release, or shortly thereafter. Your Committee believes that reentry programs are the best weapon the State has to combat recidivism. This measure will assist the State in reducing recidivism rates by creating and funding "Project Reset", a program that will provide comprehensive programs to assist inmates through the process of reentry, rehabilitation, employment, and housing after release.

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 S.B. No. 2373 and recommends that it pass Second Reading 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,

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair