THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	60
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the Department of Corrections and rehabilitation to provide an update on the findings of THE PROOF OF CONCEPT STUDY TITLED Breaking Cycles:  Alternative Models of Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice on O ahu.

 

 

     WHEREAS, the Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) does not have sufficient space for rehabilitative programs and the conditions of confinement are no longer appropriate; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) is currently in the process of planning and assigning a new facility to replace the existing OCCC, where individuals would be treated humanely and given a chance to be rehabilitated; and

 

     WHEREAS, development of modern, efficient, and cost-effective institutions would help ensure that the State's criminal justice system can meet the needs of current and future inmate populations and provide for the continued safety and security of inmates, staff, and the public; and

 

     WHEREAS, the benefits of modern correctional facility designs include not only increased security, improved conditions of confinement, and safer and more efficient operations, but also delivery of rehabilitative programs and treatment services unavailable in the current jail and prison system; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State's goal is to transform its unified correctional system into a rehabilitative, restorative, and reentry-focused system that reduces recidivism and promotes safer communities; and

 

     WHEREAS, DCR strives to keep those in custody connected to their individual cultural values, especially for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, both of whom are disproportionately represented within the State's jail population; and

 

     WHEREAS, connection to cultural values is critical in helping inmates successfully reintegrate into the State's communities and break the cycle of recidivism; and

 

     WHEREAS, in 2022, DCR contracted with the University of Hawaii Community Design Center (UHCDC) to engage stakeholders and community members in the development of an alternative proof of concept vision for the relocation of OCCC, with the goal of collectively defining a cross-jurisdictional pathway toward a continuum of care and support both inside and outside the correctional system; and

 

     WHEREAS, UHCDC hosted over one hundred twenty talk stories, eighteen site visits and listening workshops, eight co-design workshops, three exhibits, three knowledge-sharing symposiums, and five community of practice meetings over a two-year period; and

 

     WHEREAS, UHCDC members also attended Aiea Neighborhood Board and Aiea Community Association meetings, hosted listening workshops at Halawa Correctional Facility, and participated in prison reform hui meetings; and

 

     WHEREAS, UHCDC's extensive research included connecting with various counties in Arizona, California, and Florida to gain insight into their reform processes to rehabilitate individuals, reduce recidivism, and provide a continuum of care inside and outside the correctional system; and

 

     WHEREAS, in February 2025, UHCDC released an in-depth study titled Breaking Cycles:  Alternative Models of Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice on O ahu (Breaking Cycles Study); and

 

     WHEREAS, the Breaking Cycles Study was a proof of concept study that included key concepts on justice system reform, along with facility planning and design elements to consider in planning the new OCCC but did not include a completed design, required funding, or implementation plan; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) is requested to provide an update on the findings of Breaking Cycles:  Alternative Models of Rehabilitation and Restorative Justice on O ahu (Breaking Cycles Study); and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DCR is requested to include the following in its report:

 

     (1)  Ways in which DCR administrators and planning and design consultants have incorporated the recommendations of the Breaking Cycles Study into plans and designs for the new OCCC; and

 

     (2)  Observations and findings from discussions with incarcerated individuals, corrections staff, families, state agencies, and community stakeholders regarding recommendations in the Breaking Cycles Study, in collaboration with the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that DCR is requested to submit a report of its findings, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2027; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Corrections and Rehabilitation and Chairperson of the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission.

 

 

 

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

 

Report Title: 

DCR; OCCC; UHCDC; Study; Report