HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

184

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF USING INCARCERATED PERSONS TO HELP RESTORE MIDWAY ISLAND AND TO DRAFT PROPOSED LEGISLATION.

 

WHEREAS, Midway Island in the Pacific Ocean is in need of clean-up and restoration; and

WHEREAS, the federal government is currently in the midst of this restoration and clean-up; and

WHEREAS, there are endangered species on Midway Island, particularly many birds; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that protecting the natural environment and beauty of the islands of the Pacific Ocean is a laudable goal; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature finds that due to the dramatic increase in the number of detained and incarcerated individuals with drug abuse problems, alternatives to dealing with the drug-abusing offender must be implemented; and

WHEREAS, the Legislature further finds that rehabilitation programs that prepare incarcerated persons for life in the "real world" are critical to the future well-being of the community; and

WHEREAS, people who are currently incarcerated at low and medium security institutions, will have employment needs that will be at a crisis level when they are released from prison; and

WHEREAS, training appropriate level inmates for environmental clean-up on Midway Island will give them some skills for employment when they are released from prison as well as benefit the restoration effort at Midway Island; and

WHEREAS, paying the inmates a wage for the clean-up that they do and putting the sums in a trust fund which will be given to them when they are released, will give the inmates some funds to use for housing and food when they are newly released; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Public Safety is requested to assess the feasibility of using incarcerated persons for clean-up and restoration on Midway Island, including paying the inmates a wage to be kept in a trust fund until the inmates are released from prison; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the department is requested to draft proposed legislation on the matter for introduction in the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the department is requested to report findings and recommendations as well as proposed legislation to the Legislature twenty days prior to the start of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Public Safety, the Speaker of the House, and the President of the Senate.

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Inmates; Restoration Midway Island