HB 1477 Summary

• Prohibits transfer of Hawaii inmates to correctional facilities outside the State or operated by private entities, effective July 1, 2015.

• Removes mandatory minimum sentencing requirements for methamphetamine trafficking in the first and second degrees, allowing judges discretion within overall sentence limits of 20 years and 10 years respectively.

• Addresses findings from the Native Hawaiian justice task force showing disproportionate representation of Native Hawaiians in the criminal justice system, particularly in out-of-state prisons.

• Establishes that correctional facility management involves inherently governmental functions that should not be privatized or operated out-of-state.