HI SR35

Encourages the Department of Public Safety to establish and operate a stand-alone community reentry center in Honolulu for non-violent, non-sexual offenders completing incarceration or violating parole terms.

Proposed reentry center would include residential programs and a day reporting program for offenders living and working in the community while under supervision.

Estimated one-time construction cost through public-private partnership is $45,000,000, equivalent to the annual cost of housing Hawaii inmates on the mainland.

National reentry centers have demonstrated recidivism reductions of more than 50 percent over five-year periods compared to traditional incarceration and are more cost-effective than hard bed incarceration.

Reentry program would feature a three-phase structure: intake processing (up to 30 days), reentry readiness programming and community service, and community reintegration with financial responsibilities and work experience.