HI HCR81

Requests the Hawaii Judiciary to study the feasibility of opening Community Outreach Courts in the Puna and Kau districts on the island of Hawaii

References the Honolulu Community Outreach Court, which in its first year of operation (as of January 2018) assisted 57 homeless defendants, resolved 601 low-level nonviolent cases, imposed 680 community service hours, secured housing for 9 defendants, and helped 11 defendants obtain employment

Notes that Puna residents must travel two hours to Hilo courthouse for hearings, as the Puna courthouse closed on August 1, 2009, and the Kau District Court relocated to Kona District Court in October 2010

Requires the Judiciary to submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the 2021 Regular Session

Directs transmittal of a certified copy to the Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court