HCR 23 Task Force

Members | Expected Outcomes | Partnerships | Meetings

During the 2023 Legislative Session, House Concurrent Resolution No. 23 was passed. This resolution requests the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission convene a task force to examine and make recommendations regarding existing procedures of the Hawaii Paroling Authority setting the minimum terms of imprisonment.

Expectations:

This HCR23 Task Force is requested to:

  1. Study whether parole system models utilized by other states might be suited for Hawaii;
  2. Examine and compare the minimum sentences issued by the Hawaii Paroling Authority and the courts to determine whether there are significant differences; and
  3. Recommend whether the administration of justice may be better served by removing the responsibility of setting minimum sentences from the Hawaii Paroling Authority, thereby enabling it to focus on determining and assisting prisoners’ fitness for parole and supervision of parolees.

Members:

The HCR23 Task Force is comprised of the following members:

  • The Chair of the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission or the Chair’s designee, who shall serve as the chairperson of the task force – Mark Patterson, Chair of HCSOC;
  • The Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court or the Chief Justice’s designee – Honorable Kevin Souza, First Circuit Court Judge;
  • The Attorney General or the Attorney General’s designee – Adrian Dhakhwa, Deputy Attorney General;
  • The Director of Health or the Director’s designee – Brenda Bauer-Smith, Court Examiner Supervisor;
  • The Director of Public Safety or the Director’s Designee – Tommy Johnson, Director of Public Safety;
  • The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs or the Chairperson’s designee – Carmen Hulu Lindsey, Chair of OHA;
  • The Chair of the Hawaii Paroling Authority or the Chair’s designee – Fred Hyun, Chair of HPA;
  • The Public Defender or the Public Defender’s designee – Ben Lowenthal, Deputy Public Defender;
  • One member of the House of Representatives, as appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives – Representative Mark Hashem;
  • One member of the Senate, as appointed by the President of the Senate – Senator Glenn Wakai;
  • The Prosecuting Attorney, or the Prosecuting Attorney’s designee, of each county;
    • Hawai’i County – Kelden Waltjen, Prosecuting Attorney
    • Kauai County – Keola Siu, First Deputy
    • Maui County – Andrew Martin, Prosecuting Attorney
    • Honolulu County – Steve Alm, Prosecuting Attorney
  • A representative of the Crime Victim Compensation Commission – Pamela Ferguson-Brey, Executive Director
  • Four representatives appointed by the Hawaii Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, including one representative from each county;
    • Hawai’i County – Andrew Kennedy
    • Kauai County – Craig DeCosta
    • Maui County – Brandon Segal
    • Honolulu County – Myles Breiner
  • One member of the public who is a victim of domestic violence and has knowledge and expertise with the criminal justice system appointed by the Director of Public Safety – S.K.; and
  • One member of the public who is a victim of sexual assault and has knowledge and expertise with the criminal justice system appointed by the Director of Public Safety – M.R..

Additionally, the Judiciary and Department of Public Safety are requested to provide administrative support to the task force; and that the task force receive assistance from the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center and the Criminal Justice Research Institute (Erin Harbinson, Director).

Expected Outcomes:

The HCR23 Task Force is requested to:

  1. Submit any request for proposed legislation, supporting documents, information, and materials deemed necessary, to the Legislative Reference Bureau no later than August 1, 2024, and
  2. Submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than October 21, 2024.

Partnerships:

The HCSOC has partnered with the Council of State Governments (CSG) to assist with this task force. The CSG Justice Center is committed to the following:

  1. Providing context about parole systems across the United States.
  2. Conducting a comprehensive analysis of Hawai’i’s criminal justice data.
  3. Review existing corrections, court, and other criminal justice policies and procedures.
  4. Engaging and collecting input from a broad range of state and local stakeholders in the criminal justice system.
  5. Presenting findings from the analyses to the task force and begin developing policy options.
  6. Produce a report summarizing the analyses and policy options and present the report as requested.

Upcoming Meetings:

Date: Thursday, June 6, 2024
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm

Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm

Public may access the meeting via Facebook or YouTube live

Past Meetings:

HCR 23 Task Force Meeting
Date: Friday, March 15, 2024
Time: 9am-12pm
Meeting Recording

HCR 23 Task Force Meeting – CANCELED
Date: Thursday, January 11, 2024
Time: 9am-12pm

HCR 23 Task Force Meeting
Date: Thursday, November 2, 2023
Time: 9am-12pm
Meeting Recording

Community Input Meeting
Date: Monday, September 11, 2023
Time: 5pm-7pm
Meeting Recording

HCR 23 Task Force Meeting
Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2023 (closed to public)
Time: 9am-12pm
Meeting Recording 

Testimonies:

For any additional questions, please contact Christin Johnson, Oversight Coordinator of the HCSOC, at [email protected].