Report Title:

Department of Public Safety

Description:

Appropriates emergency funds to the Department of Public Safety for the purpose of transferring additional inmates to the Federal Detention Center or Mainland facilities. (SD1)

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2976

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.

 

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

SECTION 1. This Act is recommended by the governor for immediate passage in accordance with section 9 of article VII of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.

SECTION 2. This emergency appropriation is necessary to allow the department of public safety to contract for additional correctional beds on the mainland and at the federal detention center and to pay for transportation costs to transfer inmates in order to reduce crowding in Hawaii's correctional facilities. As of November 17, 2003, the number of inmates housed in local facilities exceeded the State's operating capacity by twenty-one per cent (4,220 inmates versus 3,487 beds).

Overcrowding of correctional facilities creates significant challenges to the department of public safety's ability to effectively manage the inmate population. The only viable short term solution to overcrowding is to expand capacity by increasing the number of contract beds in the federal detention center and mainland facilities.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004, for additional transportation and necessary operation costs of housing inmates in the federal detention center in Honolulu or in mainland correctional facilities.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of public safety for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.