STAND. COM. REP. NO.938

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.B. No. 877

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 877, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CORRECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require that the range and quality of programming offered to women in correctional facilities be substantially equivalent to the range and quality of programs offered to males.

The bill also appropriates funds for gender-responsible community-based programs for women and female adjudicated youths.

Your Committee finds that the proportion of women in the prison population of Hawaii is higher than the national average, eleven per cent and six per cent of the prison population, respectively. Research has established that offenders need gender-responsible services to help offenders make positive healthy choices for themselves and their families. Your Committee believes that this measure will assist women in correctional facilities by encouraging appropriate gender-responsive programs that meet the needs of women, including female adjudicated youths.

Upon further consideration, your Committee has made technical amendments to this bill by clarifying that:

(1) The amount of funds appropriated is changed from $2,000,000 to an unspecified amount;

(2) The appropriation for gender-responsible community-based programs for female adjudicated youths is to provide programs for female adjudicated youths classified by the Office of Youth Services as minimum control; and

(3) The percentage of local contribution in section    -5(4) is the percentage required to receive a grant-in-aid.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 877, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 877, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair