STAND. COM. REP. 2093

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.B. No. 2445

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2445 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR A NEW SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT FACILITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize general obligation bonds for the planning, land selection and acquisition, designing, constructing, and equipping of a substance abuse facility.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Prosecuting Attorney, City and County of Honolulu. Comments regarding this measure was also received by the Drug Policy Action Group and Community Alliance on Prisoners.

It has been estimated that up to ninety percent of the State's inmates have a history of substance abuse. This figure is particularly significant given that studies have revealed a correlation between substance abuse and crime.

Your Committee believes that given this strong correlation between drug use and crime, prevention and early treatment of drug users appears to be the most effective way of lowering crime rates and rehabilitating addicted persons to become healthy and productive.

Your Committee adopted the recommendation of the Department of Public Safety by amending section 2 of the bill by specifying that the appropriation provide:

"for the planning, land selection and acquisition, designing, constructing and equipping of a substance abuse facility of sufficient size and functionality to meet the needs of the projected inmate populations it would serve at the time of its activation."

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2445, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2445, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

COLLEEN HANABUSA, Chair