STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1503

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2011

 

RE:   S.B. No. 48

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 2

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred S.B. No. 48, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CORRECTIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to support the overall welfare of Hawaii inmates by:

 

     (1)  Establishing criteria that must be considered in deciding whether to transfer inmates to mainland prisons or between Hawaii correctional facilities;

 

     (2)  Prohibiting the transfer of Hawaii inmates to the mainland with 12 months or less to serve before being eligible to be paroled; and

 

     (3)  Prohibiting inmates with serious medical or mental conditions to be considered for transfer to other Hawaii correctional facilities or out-of-state institutions.

 

     A member of the Maui County Council, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, the Community Alliance on Prisons, the Drug Policy Action Group, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, and a concerned individual supported this bill.  The Department of Public Safety opposed this measure.

 


     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Deleting the provision allowing, and establishing the criteria for, the transfer of a committed felon to any in-State correctional facility;

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2030, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 48, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 48, S.D. 1, H.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair