STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2709

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2771

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2771 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RISK AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT FOR FEMALE OFFENDERS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to improve outcomes for female offenders.

More specifically, the measure requires the Department of Public Safety to:

(1) Conduct pretrial female risk and needs assessments to measure female offenders' risk of flight, reoffending, or harming the community; and

(2) Consider factors important to women when considering their risks of reoffending and their treatment needs.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Women's Prison Project, and four individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Public Safety.

Your Committee finds that more individualized identification of women inmates' risk factors and needs would result in the provision of more effective interventions and services for these offenders and help to reduce recidivism.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2771, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2771, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair