STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1362

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1129

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Higher Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 1129, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INCARCERATED WOMEN,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds as a grant to the Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice for the education and reentry program for incarcerated women.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Department of Public Safety, University of Hawai‘i System, one member of the Kahalu‘u Neighborhood Board, Hawai‘i Friends of Restorative Justice, Women's Prison Project, Community Alliance on Prisons, Rainbow Family 808, and seven individuals.

Your Committees find that in 2021, the Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice developed and administered an education and reentry program for incarcerated women in partnership with the Women's Community Correctional Center, Windward Community College, University of Hawaii at Manoa, and McKinley Community School for Adults. Your Committees further find that in 2022, the Legislature attempted to fund the second year of the program by making a $200,000 appropriation to the McKinley Community School for Adults. However, the McKinley Community School for Adults did not develop and does not directly administer the program, and as of November 1, 2022, the funding has not been distributed. The Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice has continued to administer the program through a private donation while awaiting access to the funding. This measure will assist incarcerated women in achieving their educational goals and increase their passage rates for the General Educational Development test.

Your Committees note that the companion to this measure, S.B. No. 710, S.D. 2, which was previously passed by the Senate, provides educational opportunities to incarcerated women to improve their post-release prospects. Your Committees conclude that the language in S.B. No. 710, S.D. 2, is preferable because it requires the McKinley Community School for Adults to work with the Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice to provide counseling services for incarcerated women participating in the education and reentry program for incarcerated women that is developed and administered by the Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice and establishes standards for the administrative grant to the Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by deleting its contents and inserting the contents of S.B. No. 710, S.D. 2, a substantially similar measure, which:

(1) Requires the McKinley Community School for Adults to work with the Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice to provide counseling services for incarcerated women participating in the education and reentry program for incarcerated women that is developed and administered by the Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice; and

(2) Appropriates moneys for the education and reentry program for incarcerated women that is developed and administered by the Hawaii Friends of Restorative Justice.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Higher Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1129, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1129, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs and Higher Education,

________________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair

________________________________ GLENN WAKAI, Chair