STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1244

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 169

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 169 entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, PURSUANT TO THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE TASK FORCE ESTABLISHED TO STUDY EFFECTIVE INCARCERATION POLICIES TO IMPROVE HAWAII'S CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM, TO DELAY PLANS TO BUILD A NEW CORRECTIONAL FACILITY ON OAHU UNTIL THE TASK FORCE ISSUES ITS FINAL REPORT THAT WILL PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE ROAD MAP FOR REFORMING HAWAII'S CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request that the Department of Public Safety, based on the recommendation of the joint task force created pursuant to H.C.R. No. 85, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2016, delay plans to build a new correctional facility on Oahu until the task force issues its final report, which will provide a comprehensive road map for reforming Hawaii's correctional system.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Community Alliance On Prisons, IMUAlliance, Young Progressives Demanding Action, Launani Valley Community Association, and five individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Public Safety.

 

     Your Committee finds that reforming the State's correctional system is vital to ensuring public safety and welfare.  The Department of Public Safety has proposed to replace the Oahu Community Correctional Center with a more modern facility.  This proposal has already entered the planning and site location phases.  However, the Legislature has proposed legislation calling for the Department of Public Safety to instead solicit proposals to construct a larger facility at the current site of the Waiawa Correctional Facility.  Moreover, the joint task force created pursuant to H.C.R. No. 85, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2016, to study effective incarceration policies to improve Hawaii's correctional system, has recommended delaying the Department of Public Safety's proposed new facility as the joint task force is examining means of significantly reducing the State's prison population and creating a more cost-effective corrections system.

 

     Your Committee understands the testimony of the Department of Public Safety indicating that the Department has already responded to some recommendations of the task force and has expanded the scope of its search for additional, appropriate sites for a new correctional facility to include possible smaller acreage sites.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Deleting language that referenced a proposal to replace the current Oahu Community Correctional Center with a larger facility at the site of the Waiawa Correctional Facility;

 

     (2)  Deleting language stating a recommendation and request to delay plans to build a new correctional facility on Oahu until the task force established pursuant to H.C.R. No. 85, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2016, issues its final report;

 

     (3)  Amending the purpose of this measure to instead request the final report of the task force established pursuant to H.C.R. No. 85, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, Regular Session of 2016, to also identify sites ten acres or less in size;

 

     (4)  Amending its title accordingly; and

 

     (5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     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 concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 169, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 169, S.D. 1.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair