Strategy to Return Inmates to Hawaii to be Discussed

By Wendy Osher

A Senate committee will discuss strategies today at returning inmates to Hawaii from mainland prisons.

The presentation will be led by the state Department of Public Safety and members of the Abercrombie Administration.

Other key items to be discussed include suggested CIP projects to construct new facilities or rehabilitate older ones, and discussion of the Justice Reinvestment Initiatives.

The items come up for discussion at 2:50 this afternoon at the State Capitol before the Senate Committee on Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs.

“Hawaii currently spends millions of dollars a year to house our inmates out of state,” said Senator Will Espero, chair of the Senate Committee.

“The purpose of this briefing is to better understand what our strategy is for returning inmates back to Hawaii so that we can prepare them for successful re-entry to their communities,” he said.

If passed, Senate Bill 2776 would require a pre-trail risk assessment of adult offenders to be conducted within three working days of admission.

The bill would further expand the membership of the Hawaii paroling authority, and require the use of validated risk assessments to guide parole decisions.

The measure would also limit the length of incarceration for first-time parole violators, increase victim restitution payments by inmates, and require a period of supervised parole prior to the expiration of the maximum term.