HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2288
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO PAROLE ELIGIBILITY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that participation in treatment, work furlough, and other programs designed to assist committed persons with successful reintegration back into the community enhances rehabilitation and reduces recidivism. The legislature further finds that treatment programs address substance abuse and alcohol addiction, mental health illness, and deviant sexual behaviors; work furlough provides opportunities to secure employment, increase financial stability, resocialize with family and support networks, and secure housing prior to release; other programs (such as cognitive skills, parenting skills, anger management) enhance skills to manage daily living activities and challenging situations.

Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to amend section 353-64, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to include treatment, work furlough, and other programs designed for successful reintegration in addition to academic, vocation education, and prison industry programs.

SECTION 2. Section 353-64, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"§353-64 Committed persons paroled. Any committed person confined in any state correctional facility in execution of any sentence imposed upon the committed person, except in cases where the penalty of life imprisonment not subject to parole has been imposed, shall be subject to parole in the manner and form as set forth in this part; provided that the committed person shall be paroled in the county where the committed person had a permanent residence or occupation or employment prior to incarceration, unless:

(1) The committed person will reside in a county in which the population exceeds eight-hundred thousand persons;

(2) The committed person will be released for immediate departure from the State; or

(3) The committed person shall be released to the county in the State in which the committed person has the greatest family or community support, opportunities for employment, job training, education, treatment, and other social services, as determined by the Hawaii paroling authority; provided that to be considered for parole to another county in the State, the committed person shall provide a written request to the department not less than six months prior to the expiration of the committed person's longest minimum sentence.

Provided further that to be eligible for parole, the committed person, if the person is determined by the department to be suitable for participation, must have been a participant in an academic, treatment, vocational education, [or] including participation in work furlough if so recommended, prison industry [program] or other programs designed to assist the committed person with successful reintegration back into the community authorized by the department and must have been involved in or completed the [program] programs to the satisfaction of the department; and provided further that this precondition for parole shall not apply if the committed person is in a correctional facility where academic, treatment, vocational education, [and] work furlough, prison industry [programs], or other programs designed to assist the committed person with successful reintegration back into the community, or facilities are not available. A grant of parole shall not be subject to acceptance by the committed person[.] and program requirements can be waived at the discretion of the Hawaii paroling authority."

SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________
	BY REQUEST

Report Title:

Parole Eligibility

Description:

Amends section 353-64, HRS, to include participation in correctional programs for parole eligibility: (1) treatment (substance abuse, mental health, sex offender); (2) work furlough as part of vocational education; and (3) other programs designed to assist the committed person with successful reintegration back into the community; all of which are in the scope of programs determined by Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Receiving and Diagnostic (RAD) assessments and recommended for parole eligibility.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.