STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3116

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3295

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3295 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CORRECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to ensure that the State is effectively responding to the unique needs of women involved in the criminal justice system.

More specifically, the measure:

(1) Establishes the Women's Corrections Implementation Commission within the Department of Public Safety to:

(A) Provide oversight over state correctional facilities that incarcerate women;

(B) Receive and investigate complaints from incarcerated women;

(C) Monitor the criminal justice system's progress in implementing reforms; and

(D) Monitor programs and data that are important to ensuring successful outcomes for women in the correctional system;

(2) Requires annual reports to the Legislature; and

(3) Appropriates moneys to fund the Commission's operations, including the hiring of necessary staff.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Women's Prison Project, Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, and one individual.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Public Safety and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the establishment of a Women's Corrections Implementation Commission to monitor the criminal justice system's interactions with women will help to ensure that the system is responsive to women's needs by addressing gender-specific issues and ensuring that these offenders have access to appropriate programs and services.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Making consistent the references to the Commission's name that appear throughout the measure;

(2) Clarifying that the Commission's purview includes community correctional centers, in addition to state correctional facilities, to ensure that the Commission may address all incarcerated women in state custody;

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

(4) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments 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. 3295, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3295, 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