STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2066

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2630

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2630 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Repeal the prohibition on the sale or offering of sale of goods produced pursuant to the Department of Public Safety's correctional industries program;

 

     (2)  Ensure that the correctional industries program is operated for employment training of inmates in the production of products and crafts for sale to the public and in providing labor services for the construction, repair, or maintenance of state, county, or federal equipment or real property;

 

     (3)  Allow the Administrator of the correctional industries program to assess a reasonable charge for labor services provided by inmates; and

 

     (4)  Require that the monies collected from the sale of products and crafts be deposited partially into the correctional industries revolving fund and partially into the committed person's account.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety; the Community Alliance on Prisons; Hoomana Pono, LLC; and three individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that the correctional industries program can provide inmates with the opportunity to develop valuable skills, support an attitude of responsibility, and, under this measure, enable inmates to repay personal debt incurred through incarceration.  These opportunities are beneficial for committed persons during and after their incarceration.  The ability to offer products and crafts for sale to the public will allow the program to foster those valuable skills and attitudes even more effectively.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2630 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

 

 

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair