STAND. COM. REP. NO. 527

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 1235

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1235, H.D. 1, 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 state correctional facilities;

(2) Require guards to wear functioning body cameras while on duty at state correctional facilities; and

(3) Appropriate funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Public Safety, Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, Community Alliance on Prisons, Hawai‘i Women Lawyers, Women's Prison Project, and nine individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from 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 assaults 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.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing all references to "guard" with "adult correctional officer"; and

(2) Making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committee notes that any requirement for an adult correctional officer to wear a body camera is subject to the collective bargaining agreement. Accordingly, your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider whether the appropriation should be narrowed to only focus on the adult correctional officer control room.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1235, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1235, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

DAVID A. TARNAS, Chair