STAND. COM. REP. NO.  928-12

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2012

 

RE:   H.B. No. 2514

      H.D. 3

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 2514, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to implement the recommendations of the Justice Reinvestment Working Group regarding three areas of improvement to Hawaii's criminal justice and corrections system—pretrial process, parole, and payment of restitution—by focusing on incarceration, supervision, and treatment as follows:

 

(1)  Requiring that an objective assessment be conducted within the first three working days of a person's commitment to a community correctional center;

 

(2)  Increasing the number of members of the Hawaii Paroling Authority;

 

(3)  Requiring the Hawaii Paroling Authority to use a validated risk assessment to determine the person's risk of re-offense and suitability for community supervision;

 

(4)  Reducing recidivism by using effective responses to parole condition violations;

 

(5)  Improving the collection of restitution by the Department of Public Safety;

 

(6)  Ensuring all felony offenders are supervised for a minimum period of time after their release from incarceration;

 

(7)  Requiring that savings realized by reducing the incarcerated population be reinvested within the criminal justice system; and

 

(8)  Appropriating funds for Department of Public Safety positions in the state and counties to improve the State's criminal justice system and to increase public safety.

 

     The Governor, Department of Public Safety, Hawaii Paroling Authority, Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, Crime Victim Compensation Commission, Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and several individuals testified in support of this measure.  Da Kine Bail Bonds and an individual testified in opposition to this measure.  The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu and the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii commented on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Specifying that pretrial risk assessments on adult offenders be provided to the court for its consideration;

 

(2)  Eliminating the requirement that the Hawaii Paroling Authority make findings of significant risk with respect to a prisoner and the safety of others or the prisoner's self with regard to additional incarceration;

 

(3)  Deleting the ability of a prisoner to receive credit toward the expiration of the prisoner's maximum sentence or sentences;

 

(4)  Requiring, as part of a prisoner's parole plan, a prisoner to leave a phone contact where the prisoner can be reached;

 

(5)  Making changes to the number of certain positions appropriated to the Department of Public Safety; and

 

(6)  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 H.B. No. 2514, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2514, H.D. 3.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARCUS R. OSHIRO, Chair