STAND. COM. REP. NO. 188

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1235

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Corrections, Military & Veterans, to which was referred H.B. No. 1235 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CORRECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Public Safety or its successor agency to install cameras at the Women's Community Correctional Center;

(2) Require guards to wear functioning body cameras while on duty at the Women's Community Correctional Center; and

(3) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, Kailua Neighborhood Board, Community Alliance on Prisons, Anuhea St. Laurent – Marriage and Family Therapy LLC, Women's Prison Project, and nine individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that there have been numerous incidents of sexual assault at the Women's Community Correctional Center. Past lawsuits note the lack of cameras in the correctional center's control rooms, where a majority of the sexual assault allegedly occurred. This measure would help to deter sexual assaults and contraband at correctional facilities in the State by providing additional cameras in control rooms and body cameras for all guards on duty and therefore, your Committee believes this should be expanded to all state correctional facilities.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have limited the requirement for the Department of Public Safety to only install digital cameras in all guard control rooms at the Women's Community Correctional Center and to only require all guards to wear functioning body cameras while on duty at the Women's Community Correctional Center;

(2) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(3) Specifying that the appropriation is for purchasing digital cameras for all guard control rooms at state correctional facilities and body cameras for guards to wear while on duty at all state correctional facilities;

(4) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Corrections, Military & Veterans that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1235, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1235, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Corrections, Military & Veterans,

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair