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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
566 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that maintaining an inmate's family and community relationships by enhancing visitor services and programs and increasing the frequency and quality of the visits are underutilized correctional resources that can improve an inmate's behavior in the correctional facility and, upon an inmate's release from a correctional facility, will help to reduce recidivism. The legislature further finds that strong family and community ties increase the likelihood of inmate success after release and that visits should therefore be encouraged.
The most striking feature of the literature concerning inmate visitation is that there is little, if any, contrary argument or evidence that the better the quality of visitation throughout an inmate's incarceration, the better the effects on the inmate, the inmate's family and community, and the inmate's post-release adjustment. Inmates who have regular, continuing visits with at least three family members show a significantly lower recidivism rate when compared with those who do not have such visits throughout their prison term. Inmates with no visitors were six times more likely to reenter prison during the first year of parole as those with three or more visitors. Female inmates who have contact with their children and who complete family reunification programs that reintroduce them in a community-based setting have lower recidivism rates than female inmates without access to their children or reunification programs.
The strong positive relationship between strength of family-social bonds and parole success has held up for more than fifty years, across very diverse offender populations, and in different locations.
Recently there has been a disturbing pattern within the Hawaii correctional system. Weekend family visits have been canceled due to lack of department of public safety personnel necessary to staff visitation. These cancellations are detrimental to the inmates and their family members who are integral to inmate rehabilitation and recovery.
The purpose of this Act is to address the ongoing problem of canceled visitation at Hawaii correctional facilities and to ensure that continued family and community contact constitutes one of the major future goals of Hawaii's correctional system by establishing twelve-month pilot visitation programs at the Oahu community correctional center and the Halawa correctional facility.
SECTION 2. The department of public safety shall establish a twelve-month pilot program to promote continuity of weekend family visitation in all corrections division facilities and may hire part-time staff, to work no more than nineteen hours per week, whose primary responsibility shall be to staff weekend family visits. These part-time staff members may also staff inmate visitation on weekdays; provided that no staff person shall work more than nineteen hours per week.
SECTION 3. The department of public safety shall establish a twelve-month pilot program to promote weekday family visitation in the Oahu community correctional center and the Halawa correctional facility. The director of public safety may provide for weekday visits in both facilities from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. each week on any Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. The department of public safety may hire part-time staff, to work no more than nineteen hours per week, whose responsibility shall be to staff weekday family visits. These part-time staff members may also staff inmate visitation on weekends; provided that no staff person shall work more than nineteen hours per week. The director of public safety may conduct weekday family visitation at other correctional facilities as the director deems appropriate.
SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for implementation of the pilot programs pursuant to sections 2 and 3 of this Act.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of public safety for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2016; provided that section 4 shall take effect on July 1, 2015.
Report Title:
Inmate Visitation; Appropriation; Department of Public Safety
Description:
Authorizes and appropriates funds for the department of public safety to create two pilot programs designed to promote inmate visitation at state correctional facilities. (SD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.