HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

412

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

making an appropriation for the establishment of a social worker v supervisor position.

 

 

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

 


     SECTION 1.  The Kauai drug court began operations in August of 2003 as a collaborative effort of the primary criminal justice entities on Kauai – the judiciary, the public defender, the prosecutor of the county of Kauai, and the Kauai police department – and numerous other agencies and programs to incorporate best practices to assist clients in achieving cognitive restructuring in terms of the methods used to abuse illicit substances.  Through the Kauai drug court, clients are provided treatment, counseling, and intensive supervision.  Since its inception, the Kauai drug court has graduated one hundred fifty-five clients, most of whom have housing and are gainfully employed or attending school to further their education.

     The success of the Kauai drug court has resulted in considerable cost savings to the department of public safety.  In 2014, twelve individuals graduated from the Kauai drug court, saving the department of public safety approximately $600,000 in annual costs to house these inmates at the Kauai community correctional center.

     However, while the Kauai drug court was initially established to deal with a maximum number of sixty-five clients, the number of clients needing services who would benefit from the drug court program has increased dramatically, and it is expected that this number will increase in the foreseeable future.  The establishment of a social worker V position within the Kauai drug court would allow for additional clients who need services to be assisted by the program.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to establish a full-time, permanent social worker V position in the Kauai drug court program of the judiciary.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $88,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) permanent social worker V position to assist with case load work and management of daily operations of the Kauai drug court.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the judiciary for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Drug Court; Fifth Circuit; Judiciary; Social Worker V; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds for the establishment of one full-time equivalent (1.00 FTE) permanent social worker V position in the Kauai drug court program.

 

 

 

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