RELATING TO PAROLE ELIGIBILITY.

HB2288

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2288

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO PAROLE ELIGIBILITY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

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SECTION 1.
�

The legislature finds that participation in treatment, work furlough,
and other programs designed to assist committed persons with successful
reintegration back into the community enhances rehabilitation and reduces
recidivism.
�
The legislature further
finds that treatment programs address substance abuse and alcohol addiction,
mental health illness, and deviant sexual behaviors; work furlough provides
opportunities to secure employment, increase financial stability, resocialize
with family and support networks, and secure housing prior to release; other
programs (such as cognitive skills, parenting skills, anger management) enhance
skills to manage daily living activities and challenging situations.

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Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to amend section 353-64, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to
include treatment, work furlough, and
other
programs designed for successful reintegration in addition
to academic, vocation education, and prison industry programs.

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SECTION
2.
�
Section 353-64, Hawaii Revised
Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

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"
�353-64

�
Committed persons paroled.

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Any committed person confined in any state
correctional facility in execution of any sentence imposed upon the committed
person, except in cases where the penalty of life imprisonment not subject to
parole has been imposed, shall be subject to parole in the manner and form as
set forth in this part; provided that the committed person shall be paroled in
the county where the committed person had a permanent residence or occupation
or employment prior to incarceration, unless:

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(1)
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The
committed person will reside in a county in which the population exceeds
eight-hundred thousand persons;

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(2)
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The
committed person will be released for immediate departure from the State; or

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(3)
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The
committed person shall be released to the county in the State in which the
committed person has the greatest family or community support, opportunities
for employment, job training, education, treatment, and other social services,
as determined by the Hawaii paroling authority; provided that to be considered
for parole to another county in the State, the committed person shall provide a
written request to the department not less than six months prior to the
expiration of the committed person's longest minimum sentence.

Provided
further that to be
eligible for parole, the committed person, if the person is determined by the
department to be suitable for participation, must have been a participant in an
academic,
treatment,
vocational education, [
or
]
including
participation in work furlough if so recommended,
prison industry [
program
]

or other programs designed to assist the committed person with successful
reintegration back into the community
authorized by the department and must
have been involved in or completed the [
program
]
program
s

to the satisfaction of the department; and
provided further that this precondition for parole shall not apply if the
committed person is in a correctional facility where academic, treatment,
vocational education, [
and
]
work furlough,
prison industry [
programs
]
,
or other programs designed to assist the committed person with successful
reintegration back into the community,
or facilities are not available.
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A grant of parole shall not be subject to
acceptance by the committed person[
.
]
and program requirements can be waived at the discretion
of the Hawaii paroling authority.
"

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SECTION
3.
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Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
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New statutory
material is underscored.

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SECTION 4.
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This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

BY
REQUEST

Report Title:

Parole Eligibility

Description:

Amends section
353-64, HRS, to include participation in correctional programs for parole
eligibility:
�
(1) treatment (substance
abuse, mental health, sex offender); (2) work furlough as part of vocational
education; and (3) other programs designed to assist the committed person with
successful reintegration back into the community; all of which are in the scope
of programs determined by Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's
Receiving and Diagnostic (RAD) assessments and recommended for parole
eligibility.

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