Report Title:

Prisoners; Children; Incarcerated Parents; Task Force

 

Description:

Re-establishes the children of incarcerated parents task force, which ceased to exist on December 31, 2011.  Appropriates funds.  (HB2763 HD1)

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2763

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

H.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

RELATING TO THE CHILDREN OF INCARCERATED PARENTS TASK FORCE.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The children of incarcerated parents task force was established by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 128 (2005), and was extended by Act 256, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, to enable the task force to continue to develop programs to aid children of incarcerated parents.  The task force ceased to exist on December 31, 2007.

The purpose of this Act is to re-establish the children of incarcerated parents task force so it can continue to develop programs to aid children of incarcerated parents, strengthen the family bond, and help break the cycle of crime and violence.

     SECTION 2.  The department of public safety and the department of human services shall re-establish the children of incarcerated parents task force previously established by Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 128 (2005) and Act 256, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, to identify and develop programs and support services for children of incarcerated parents, as well as programs to strengthen the bond between the families.  The task force shall be re-established as provided in this Act.

     The goals of the task force are to:

     (1)  Develop a system to identify children of incarcerated parents;

     (2)  Develop programs and support services for these children;

     (3)  Provide support for incarcerated parents, where appropriate;

     (4)  Develop programs to strengthen these families; and

     (5)  Review other jurisdictions' activities, policies, directives, and laws relating to children of incarcerated parents to derive best practices models.

SECTION 3.  The task force shall include the following members:

     (1)  The director of public safety or a designee;

     (2)  The deputy director of the corrections division of the department of public safety or a designee;

     (3)  The institutions division administrator of the community correctional centers and the correctional facilities or a designee;

     (4)  The director of health or a designee;

     (5)  The director of human services or a designee;

     (6)  The executive director of the office of youth services or a designee;

     (7)  The chief justice of the supreme court or a designee;

     (8)  A member of the board of trustees of the office of Hawaiian affairs or a designee;

     (9)  A representative of the family court of the first circuit;

    (10)  The superintendent of education or a designee;

    (11)  The attorney general or a designee;

    (12)  The prosecuting attorney of each county or a designee;

    (13)  A representative of the child protective services agency of the department of human services;

    (14)  The director of the Children's Justice Center of Oahu or a designee;

    (15)  A representative from the adult probation division of the judiciary;

    (16)  A member representing each of the county police departments appointed by the respective police chiefs;

    (17)  A public member with advocacy experience working on behalf of children of incarcerated parents to be selected by Blueprint for Change;

    (18)  A public member with advocacy experience working on behalf of children of incarcerated parents to be selected by Child and Family Services;

    (19)  A public member with advocacy experience working on behalf of children of incarcerated parents to be selected by the Community Alliance on Prisons;

    (20)  A public member with advocacy experience working on behalf of children of incarcerated parents to be selected by the Good Beginnings Alliance;

    (21)  A public member with advocacy experience working on behalf of children of incarcerated parents to be selected by the Hawaii Juvenile Justice Project;

    (22)  A public member with advocacy experience working on behalf of children of incarcerated parents to be selected by Keiki O Ka Aina Family Learning Centers;

    (23)  A public member with advocacy experience working on behalf of children of incarcerated parents to be selected by Neighborhood Place of Puna;

    (24)  A public member with advocacy experience working on behalf of children of incarcerated parents to be selected by Neighborhood Place of Wailuku;

    (25)  Public members with experience working with children of incarcerated parents to be selected by the Children's Justice Center;

    (26)  A representative of the Queen Liliuokalani Children's Center;

    (27)  Representatives of youth groups from the island of Kauai who address the issues of incarcerated parents;

    (28)  A faculty member of the University of Hawaii department of sociology or a designee; and

    (29)  The administrator of the intake service centers of the department of public safety or a designee.

The members of the task force shall select the chairperson of the task force from among themselves and shall be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, necessary for the performance of their duties.

SECTION 4.  The task force shall be administratively attached to the department of human services.  The department of public safety and the department of human services shall each provide administrative, clerical, technical, and professional support services necessary to assist the task force in achieving its purpose as required under this Act.  The task force shall cease to exist after December 31, 2011.

SECTION 5.  The task force shall submit annual reports to the legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2009, 2010, and 2011.  The task force shall make the reports available to the general public in printed form and on a website accessible to the public over the Internet.

The annual reports shall be completed with the assistance of the department of public safety and shall include:

     (1)  A summary of significant findings regarding children of incarcerated parents;

     (2)  Statewide statistics indicating the number of children with incarcerated parents in the state, including data on age and educational, financial, geographic, and socioeconomic demographics of incarcerated parents;

     (3)  Statewide data and data analysis to determine the relationship between specific variables and the frequency of parental incarceration;

     (4)  Statewide data and data analysis to determine the relationship between parental incarceration and various adverse outcomes for children of incarcerated parents; and

     (5)  Multiple theoretical models for improving the welfare and general well-being of children of incarcerated parents.

     SECTION 6.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009 for data gathering, data analysis, and compilation of the reports required by this Act, for reimbursement for expenses, including travel expenses, incurred by the members of the task force, and for any additional administrative costs.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 7.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2020.