HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2604

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2012

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO COMPREHENSIVE OFFENDER REENTRY SYSTEM.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  Act 8, First Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2007, added to the Hawaii Revised Statutes a new chapter entitled "Comprehensive Offender Reentry System" to prepare incarcerated individuals for reentry into the community through programs and services that reflect best practices and evidenced-based results.  The goal of reentry is to provide offenders with greater opportunities to be rehabilitated while ensuring public safety and reducing recidivism.

     Act 24, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, amended section 353-10, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to incorporate the responsibilities of offender reentry into the long-established intake services centers.

     The purpose of this Act is to create the offender reentry office to oversee offender reentry and restore the purpose of the intake service centers to screen, evaluate, and classify the admission of persons to community correctional centers.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 353H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§353H-    Offender reentry office.  There shall be within the department of public safety, an offender reentry office to oversee the development and implementation of the comprehensive offender reentry system.

     The offender reentry office shall:

     (1)  Ensure that the present and future reentry needs of persons committed to correctional facilities are being evaluated and met in an effective and appropriate manner;

     (2)  Develop and implement risk needs assessment tools to properly place offenders in programs and services;

     (3)  Match offenders to programs and services that address risks and needs identified;

     (4)  Monitor and record progress made by offenders while participating in prescribed programs and services;

     (5)  Identify and make recommendations to address needs not addressed by programs and services;

     (6)  Provide training opportunities for department of public safety staff and service providers in assessments and evidenced-based practices;

     (7)  Work closely and collaborate with the community service and work furlough programs located in the community correctional centers and correctional facilities; and

     (8)  Work closely and collaborate with the Hawaii paroling authority."

     SECTION 3.  Section 353-10, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§353-10 [Reentry intake] Intake service centers.  There shall be within the department of public safety, [a reentry] an intake service center for adults in each of the counties, to screen, evaluate, and classify the admission of persons to community correctional centers [and to provide for the successful reentry of persons back into the community].  Each center shall be directed and managed by a manager and shall be staffed by a team of psychiatrists, social workers, technicians, and other personnel as may be necessary.  The director of public safety may appoint full-time or part-time professional and clerical staff or contract for professional services [to carry out the duties of the centers as identified in this section].

     The centers shall:

     (1)  Provide orientation, guidance, and technical services;

     (2)  Provide social-medical-psychiatric-psychological diagnostic evaluation;

     (3)  Provide pretrial assessments on adult offenders for the courts and assist in the conduct of presentence assessments on adult offenders and the preparation of presentence reports when requested by the courts;

     (4)  Provide correctional prescription program planning and security classification;

     (5)  Provide such other personal and correctional services as needed for both detained and committed persons; and

     (6)  Monitor and record the progress of persons assigned to correctional facilities who undergo further treatment or who participate in prescribed correctional programs[;

     (7)  Ensure that the present and future reentry needs of persons committed to correctional facilities are being evaluated and met in an effective and appropriate manner;

     (8)  Provide additional reentry services to include working closely and collaborating with the furlough programs in each county that are currently managed by the department's institutions division;

     (9)  Work closely and collaborate with the Hawaii paroling authority; and

    (10)  Work closely and collaborate with the corrections program services division]."

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect July 1, 2012.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

BY REQUEST


 


 

Report Title:

Comprehensive Offender Reentry System

 

Description:

Establishes the Offender Reentry Office within the Department of Public Safety to address the goals of chapter 353H, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.