STAND. COM. REP. NO. 23

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 454

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 454 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII CORRECTIONAL SYSTEM OVERSIGHT COMMISSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to require the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission to:

(1) Review and recommend amendments to the Department of Public Safety's operating budget request and any capital improvement project appropriation requests prior to each legislative session;

(2) Inform the Legislature if its recommendations were not accepted; and

(3) Advise the Governor as to whether the Department of Public Safety's expenditure plan serves to fulfil the goal of the correctional system's transition to a rehabilitative and therapeutic model.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, Community Alliance on Prisons, and ten individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Public Safety and Hawaii Paroling Authority. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission was created to oversee the Department of Public Safety and facilitate its transition to a therapeutic and rehabilitative model. Your Committee believes that appropriate priority must be given to the programs, services, and strategies needed to achieve the therapeutic and rehabilitative model. This measure will allow the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission to more effectively carry out its established duties and facilitate the correctional system's transition to a therapeutic and rehabilitative model by requiring the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission to review and recommend amendments to the Department of Public Safety's operating budget request and any capital improvement project appropriation requests prior to each legislative session, inform the Legislature if the Commission's recommendations were not accepted, and advise the Governor as to whether the Department of Public Safety's expenditure plan serves to fulfil the goal of the correctional system's transition to a rehabilitative and therapeutic model.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 454, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 454, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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GLENN WAKAI, Chair