STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1274

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 519

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 519, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INMATES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Expand the capacity of correctional facilities and prisons in Hawaii;

 

     (2)  Return all women inmates from Hawaii that are housed in out-of-state correctional facilities to Hawaii correctional facilities by December 31, 2011;

 

     (3)  Limit the future number of inmates from Hawaii that may be incarcerated in out-of-state prisons or correctional facilities; and

 

     (4)  Require the Department of Public Safety to develop alternative programs or forms of incarceration for Hawaii inmates returning from mainland facilities.

 

     Your Committee received one written comment on this measure.  The written comment may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii currently lacks the capacity in its prisons and correctional facilities to accommodate all its inmates.  Accordingly, a significant number of Hawaii inmates are housed in prisons and correctional facilities located in other states.  Your Committee believes that rehabilitation is more effective and recidivism is reduced if inmates are incarcerated closer to home.  Your Committee also finds incarcerating inmates in Hawaii instead of in other states will eliminate the expense of paying other jurisdictions to detain Hawaii's inmates.  Your Committee, however, recognizes that the return of Hawaii inmates from other states should not take place until Hawaii's prisons and correctional facilities have the capacity to accommodate these additional inmates.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  By requiring all women inmates to be returned to Hawaii by December 31, 2011, only if the capacity and bed space exist in Hawaii's prisons and correctional facilities to accommodate the additional inmates; and

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 519, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 519, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair