Report Title:

Inmate Rehabilitation; Historical Site Restoration

 

Description:

Establishes a program within the Department of Public Safety that assigns select, non-violent inmates on a work detail that restores historical sites selected by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

 


HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

1664

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT


 

 

relaTING TO CORRECTIONS.

 

 

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

 


     The legislature finds that a promising approach to reducing recidivism and helping inmates make the successful transition from prison to the community is through establishing transition programs at correctional facilities that can foster a connection to an inmate's cultural ancestry.  When combined with strategies that help Hawaiian inmates reconnect with the values of Hawaiian culture, the transition programs can help break the vicious cycle of crime and punishment as knowledge of such cultural values have helped many cope with social challenges.

     The Kulani Correctional Facility, in collaboration with the Hawaii Community College, has developed a greenhouse program in which inmates build and maintain the facilities, grow native plants, raise hydroponic vegetables, and learn landscaping techniques.  A similarly modeled program could offer non-violent inmates an opportunity to take part in efforts to restore Hawaiian culturally significant sites that have been identified and selected by the office of Hawaiian affairs.

     The purpose of this Act is to establish a Hawaiian cultural restoration program for non-violent inmates to participate in a work force dedicated to the preservation and restoration of historic Hawaiian sites and areas as determined by the office of Hawaiian affairs.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  Not later than January 1, 2010, the department of public safety shall establish temporary pilot program to be known as the Hawaiian cultural restoration program that will provide working opportunities for non-violent inmates of Hawaiian ancestry to participate in the restoration and rebuilding of sites culturally significant to Hawaiian history.

     Inmates selected for the pilot program shall be able-bodied individuals capable of heavy construction work, including building a barracks and other living facilities to house the pilot program participants near the work site.

     (b)  The pilot program shall provide skills development training that will incorporate instruction in the methods of rebuilding the historical site as well as the background and cultural significance of the site.

     (c)  The office of Hawaiian affairs shall determine and identify the sites to be restored by the Hawaiian cultural restoration program.  The office of Hawaiian affairs shall ensure that initial sites chosen for this program shall be in rural districts of the state as defined in section 205-2, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     For purposes of funding, the Hawaiian cultural restoration program shall be considered an office of Hawaiian affairs project under section 10-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     (d)  The Hawaiian cultural restoration program shall cease to exist on June 30, 2013.

     SECTION 3.  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 2009-2010 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010-2011 for the Hawaiian cultural restoration program; provided that the moneys allocated to the program shall reduce any appropriations to the office of Hawaiian affairs under section 10-13, Hawaii Revised Statutes, by an equal amount.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of public safety for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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