STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2736

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     S.B. No. 2349

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2349 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require all state correctional facilities to allow family members to engage in contact visitation with inmates at least once per week.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Public Defender, Community Alliance on Prisons, Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice, and ten individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Public Safety.

 

     Your Committee finds that contact visitation for incarcerated individuals can reduce recidivism by allowing an incarcerated individual to maintain a meaningful relationship with family members, thereby making integration back into society easier by having the support of family members.  Your Committee also finds that children of incarcerated parents are some of the nation's most vulnerable and marginalized populations and are more likely to be incarcerated themselves as teenagers or adults.  Studies have shown that contact visitation produces better outcomes for correctional facilities, an incarcerated individual, and family members of an incarcerated individual.  Your Committee finds that opportunities for incarcerated individuals to have contact visits with their family are increasingly being restricted.  Non-contact visitation is currently the practice of at least three correctional facilities in the State.  This measure will attempt to reduce recidivism by requiring all correctional facilities to allow for contact visitation.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by 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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2349, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2349, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair