STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1263

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.C.R. No. 146

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 146 entitled:

 

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO FORM A WORKING GROUP TO EXAMINE SMARTER SENTENCING TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND RELIABILITY OF STATE CRIMINAL SENTENCING PRACTICES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to form a working a working group to examine smarter sentencing to improve the quality and reliability and reliability of state criminal sentencing practices.

 

     The Community Alliance on Prisons testified in support.  The Department of Public Safety offered comments.

 

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

    

(1)Inserted language on page 2 lines 1-3 to include background information on sentencing done in Hawaii and who contains the legal authority on sentencing guidelines for minimum terms of imprisonment; and

(2)In page 2 lines 5-8 recommended that the Judiciary is more appropriate in retaining authority on sentencing rather than the Hawaii Paroling Authority; and

(3)Adopted the Department of Public Safety concerns about sentencing authority.  Changed the working group request from Department of Public Safety to Hawaii Paroling Authority; and

(4)Revised the language on page 2, lines 8-9 to include "such as whether a crime is especially heinous, atrocious or cruel"; and

(5)Inserted page 3, lines 39-42 to exempt working group members from Chapter 84; and

(6) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 146, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 146, H.D. 1.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

KARL RHOADS, Chair