STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2084

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2639

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2639 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE COMPREHENSIVE OFFENDER REENTRY SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Offender Reentry Office of the Department of Public Safety to develop and implement a risk needs assessment tool that is specifically intended to assess the needs of female offenders.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawai‘i Correctional Systems Oversight Commission, Women's Prison Project, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Public Safety.

Your Committee finds that criminal justice policies, practices, and programs have traditionally been designed for men and applied to women without regard to the unique needs of women. Gender responsive risk and need assessment tools better identify interventions which connect women to programs and treatment to address their needs and reduce recidivism. Additionally, women's pathways to crime differ significantly from those of men, too often beginning in childhood with physical and sexual abuse. Women are far more likely than men to commit crimes related to poverty, such as prostitution and credit card fraud, and drug-related offenses. As women are often the primary caretakers of children, parental issues present unique challenges for impoverished women. Your Committee believes that gender response programs and treatments best address the needs of women. This measure will assist the State in addressing the needs of incarcerated women by requiring the Offender Reentry Office of the Department of Public Safety to develop and implement a risk needs assessment tool that is specifically intended to assess the needs of female offenders.

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. 2639 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair