STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1561-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: S.C.R. No. 26
                                     S.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which
was referred S.C.R. No. 26, S.D. 1, entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE JUDICIARY TO
     STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING DRUG COURTS ON THE
     ISLANDS OF HAWAII AND KAUAI."

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this resolution is to request the Judiciary
to determine the feasibility of establishing Drug Courts on the
islands of Hawaii and Kauai.

     Testimony in support of this resolution was received from
the Judiciary, the Department of Public Safety, and Community
Alliance on Prisons.

     Your Committee finds that the Honolulu Drug Court has been
very successful in substantially reducing the recidivism rates of
its participants.  Your Committee believes that establishing Drug
Courts on the islands of Hawaii and Kauai will address the
growing number of substance abuse cases in those counties and
will significantly lower the number of detained and incarcerated
individuals with drug abuse problems by offering an alternative
to incarceration for nonviolent drug-abusing offenders.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to
this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose

 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1561-00
                                 Page 2

 
of S.C.R. No. 26, S.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to
the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary &
                                   Hawaiian Affairs,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair