HB2160 - Relating to Incarcerated Parents

• Requires establishment of a pilot visitation center at one or more state correctional facilities (including Waiawa Correctional Center, O'ahu Community Correctional Center, and Women's Community Correctional Center) beginning July 1, 2018, operated by a non-profit organization in cooperation with the Department of Human Services and Department of Public Safety.

• Mandates that the Department of Human Services and Department of Public Safety develop a comprehensive plan for visitation centers at all state-operated correctional facilities by July 1, 2019, working with the family reunification working group and community stakeholders.

• Visitation centers are designed to reduce barriers to family visitation, provide trauma-informed services, educate children about parental incarceration, connect families to community resources, and facilitate parent-child relationships to strengthen family reunification.

• Appropriates funds from the general revenues of Hawaii to the Department of Human Services for fiscal year 2018-2019 to establish, develop, and implement the visitation centers (amount left blank in document).

• Act takes effect July 1, 2018, addressing the estimated 2,700,000 children nationwide with incarcerated parents and breaking cycles of intergenerational incarceration.