STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3106

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3126

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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3126 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PRISONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to reduce recidivism by inmates following their release from incarceration.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes within the Department of Public Safety a four-year pilot program and working group to create a program designed to reduce recidivism by providing business, entrepreneurial, and financial literacy education to inmates; and

(2) Appropriates $400,000 to the Department for the establishment of the pilot program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Community Alliance on Prisons, Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii, Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that 49.6 percent of convicted felons return to prison within one year of their release, whereas forty-three percent of inmates who seek and attain education while incarcerated are less likely to recidivate. Given the social and financial costs of recidivism, your Committee believes that the pilot program established by the measure would proactively reduce recidivism by providing inmates with business skills that can boost their economic success upon their return to the community.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that members of the working group shall be selected by the Director of Public Safety, who shall serve as chairperson, and that the working group shall submit to the Legislature an interim report and a final report on the status of the pilot program;

(2) Changing the appropriation amount to an unspecified amount;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(4) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

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. 3126, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3126, S.D. 1.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair