REPORT TITLE:
$ Judiciary; Video Conference

DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds for the expansion of a video arraignment and
conferencing system in the circuit court of the third circuit and
the Halawa correctional facility.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                            1460        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE VIDEO
   ARRAIGNMENT AND CONFERENCING SYSTEM.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that the use of video
 
 2 conferencing technology in the criminal justice system provides
 
 3 an effective, efficient, yet fair means of justice
 
 4 administration.  In 1993, the judiciary initiated the use of
 
 5 video conferencing technology in the circuit court of the first
 
 6 circuit to conduct video arraignment hearings for custody
 
 7 defendants held at the Oahu community correctional center.  In
 
 8 1997 alone, the first circuit court arraigned 1,907, or
 
 9 approximately ninety-six per cent of its custody defendants by
 
10 video conferencing technology, which translates into at least a
 
11 $45,000 per year savings for the department of public safety.
 
12 The processing time for video arraignments has also been reduced
 
13 by at least fifty per cent.
 
14      In 1996, the first circuit court expanded video conferencing
 
15 technology to provide the ability to conduct court hearings and
 
16 custody client interviews.  The first circuit court's adult
 
17 probation division, for example, conducted three hundred pre-
 
18 sentence interviews with custody clients in 1997, saving about
 
19 $6,000 in travel and mileage expenses per year.  The replication
 

 
Page 2                                         1460        
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 of video conferencing technology on the island of Hawaii is
 
 2 expected to yield similar results in the efficient, effective,
 
 3 and fair administration of justice.
 
 4      The legislature further finds that the governor's committee
 
 5 on crime recommended that the Edward Byrne memorial state and
 
 6 local law enforcement assistance formula grant program, award the
 
 7 judiciary $212,602 to continue implementation of phase II of the
 
 8 video conferencing project.  The Edward Byrne memorial state and
 
 9 local law enforcement assistance formula grant program is a
 
10 federal grant program that provides funding for state and local
 
11 law enforcement agencies.  It has pledged $212,602 to the state
 
12 judiciary for the expansion of its video conferencing technology
 
13 provided that the State commit $70,867 toward the cost of the
 
14 video conferencing expansion.
 
15      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate state funds to
 
16 obtain federal grant moneys to continue phase II of the third
 
17 circuit court video conferencing project.  Continuation of phase
 
18 II will expand video arraignment and conferencing technologies to
 
19 the Hilo circuit court and the Halawa correctional facility.
 
20      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
21 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $70,867, or so much
 
22 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000, for the
 
23 expansion of a video arraignment and conferencing system in the
 

 
Page 3                                         1460        
                                     H.B. NO.           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 circuit court of the third circuit and the Halawa correctional
 
 2 facility.  Any and all funds awarded by grant to the judiciary
 
 3 through the Edward Byrne memorial state and local law enforcement
 
 4 assistance formula grant program shall be applied to offset the
 
 5 total costs for the implementation of this video arraignment and
 
 6 conferencing project in the circuit court of the third circuit
 
 7 and the Halawa correctional facility.
 
 8      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 9 judiciary for the purposes of this Act.
 
10      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
11 
 
12 
 
13                           INTRODUCED BY: ________________________