SCR60 SD1

WHEREAS, the Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) does not have sufficient space for rehabilitative programs and the conditions of confinement are no longer appropriate; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) is currently in the process of planning and assigning a new facility to replace the existing OCCC, where individuals would be treated humanely and given a chance to be rehabilitated; and

WHEREAS, development of modern, efficient, and cost‑effective institutions would help ensure that the State's criminal justice system can meet the needs of current and future inmate populations and provide for the continued safety and security of inmates, staff, and the public; and

WHEREAS, the benefits of modern correctional facility designs include not only increased security, improved conditions of confinement, and safer and more efficient operations, but also delivery of rehabilitative programs and treatment services unavailable in the current jail and prison system; and

WHEREAS, the State's goal is to transform its unified correctional system into a rehabilitative, restorative, and reentry-focused system that reduces recidivism and promotes safer communities; and

WHEREAS, DCR strives to keep those in custody connected to their individual cultural values, especially for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, both of whom are disproportionately represented within the State's jail population; and

WHEREAS, connection to cultural values is critical in helping inmates successfully reintegrate into the State's communities and break the cycle of recidivism; and

WHEREAS, in 2022, DCR contracted with the University of Hawaii Community Design Center (UHCDC) to engage stakeholders and community members in the development of an alternative proof of concept vision for the relocation of OCCC, with the goal of collectively defining a cross-jurisdictional pathway toward a continuum of care and support both inside and outside the correctional system; and

WHEREAS, UHCDC hosted over one hundred twenty talk stories, eighteen site visits and listening workshops, eight co-design workshops, three exhibits, three knowledge-sharing symposiums, and five community of practice meetings over a two-year period; and

WHEREAS, UHCDC members also attended Aiea Neighborhood Board and Aiea Community Association meetings, hosted listening workshops at Halawa Correctional Facility, and participated in prison reform hui meetings; and

WHEREAS, UHCDC's extensive research included connecting with various counties in Arizona, California, and Florida to gain insight into their reform processes to rehabilitate individuals, reduce recidivism, and provide a continuum of care inside and outside the correctional system; and

WHEREAS, in February 2025, UHCDC released an in-depth study titled Breaking Cycles: Alternative Models of Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice on Oʻahu (Breaking Cycles Study); and

WHEREAS, the Breaking Cycles Study was a proof of concept study that included key concepts on justice system reform, along with facility planning and design elements to consider in planning the new OCCC but did not include a completed design, required funding, or implementation plan; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) is requested to provide an update on the findings of Breaking Cycles: Alternative Models of Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice on Oʻahu (Breaking Cycles Study); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DCR is requested to include the following in its report:

(1) Ways in which DCR administrators and planning and design consultants have incorporated the recommendations of the Breaking Cycles Study into plans and designs for the new OCCC;

(2) Observations and findings from discussions with incarcerated individuals, corrections staff, families, state agencies, and community stakeholders regarding recommendations in the Breaking Cycles Study, in collaboration with the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission;

(3) Specific and detailed explanations of how each major recommendation from the Breaking Cycles Study has been incorporated into the current design, planning, and operational model of the new facility;

(4) Identification of any recommendations that have not been adopted and a clear justification for not adopting the recommendations;

(5) Clarification on whether the current plan reflects a rehabilitative, treatment-centered model or a traditional custodial expansion;

(6) Meaningful discussion of how DCR is incorporating cultural practices and community-based reentry supports, particularly for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations who are disproportionately represented in the correctional system; and

(7) Ongoing opportunities for stakeholder and community input, including input from those directly affected by incarceration; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DCR, Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, Aiea-Halawa community members, and other stakeholders are requested to provide quarterly informational briefing updates to the Legislature on the implementation of the recommendations of the Breaking Cycles Study beginning in April of 2026 and occurring no later than the following:

(1) July 30, 2026; and

(2) October 31, 2026; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DCR is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Chairperson of the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission.

Report Title:

DCR; OCCC; UHCDC; Study; Report

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	60
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII