Bill > SR18

This resolution requests the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) to collaborate with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to utilize inmate work furlough programs for state roadway and highway maintenance. The resolution highlights the significant challenges inmates face when reentering society, including a high recidivism rate of over 50% in Hawaii, and suggests that work furlough programs can help address these issues. By providing inmates with opportunities to work, these programs can help them develop job skills, establish financial stability, and create social connections before release. The resolution argues that this approach would not only improve highway maintenance by providing additional workforce for tasks like pothole management and vegetation control but also support inmate rehabilitation by offering meaningful work experience. The ultimate goal is to create a mutually beneficial arrangement that helps both the state's infrastructure needs and the inmates' successful reintegration into society.

Government Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SR&billnumber=18&year=2025