STAND. COM. REP. NO. 328-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2501

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2501 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN EMERGENCY APPROPRIATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to make an emergency appropriation of $2,001,986, from Fiscal Year 2003-2004 moneys, 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 the inmates.

Testimony in support of the measure was received from the Department of Public Safety and the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu.

Your Committee finds that, 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).

Your Committee also finds that overcrowding of correctional facilities creates significant challenges to the Department of Public Safety's ability to effectively manage the inmate population. Your Committee believes that the only viable short term solution to overcrowding is to increase the number of State of Hawaii-contracted beds in the federal detention center and mainland facilities.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2501 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs,

 

____________________________

KEN ITO, Chair