STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1108-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2532

S.D. 1

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 S.B. No. 2532, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRISONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a working group to create a pilot program designed to reduce recidivism by providing inmates with business and entrepreneurial skills and financial literacy education to help inmates succeed after they are released from incarceration.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, University of Hawai‘i System, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Community Alliance on Prisons, Resilience Education, Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and fifteen individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's prison system houses many more inmates than it was designed to accommodate. One reason the prison system is overburdened is that 49.6 percent of convicted felons return to prison within one year of their release. Your Committee further finds that to reduce recidivism, several states have established programs that include training and mentoring to give inmates an opportunity to learn entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and business skills to facilitate their reentry into society.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

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

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 S.B. No. 2532, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2532, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

TAKASHI OHNO, Chair