Bill > HR15

This Resolution requests the Judicial Council, an entity established by Hawaii law, to form a committee to review and propose changes to the Hawaii Penal Code, which is the body of law defining crimes and their punishments. The impetus for this review stems from concerns that judges are not consistently or fairly applying sentencing discretion, particularly for repeat offenders, leading to varied outcomes. The resolution highlights a specific case of an individual with numerous convictions as evidence that current laws may need revision to better address individuals who repeatedly commit crimes. The proposed committee will be composed of a diverse group of individuals, including legal professionals from various branches of government, law enforcement, public defenders, victim and prisoner advocates, and private citizens, with the goal of ensuring judicial discretion, consistency, and fairness in sentencing, with a particular focus on programs like HOPE Probation (Hawaii's Opportunity Probation with Enforcement), which uses swift sanctions to deter probation violations. The committee is expected to submit its recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by early 2023.