Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
House Journal Written Remarks, 3rd Reading
House Bill No. 1752, House Draft 1
Relating to Repeat Offenders
Monday, March 2, 2010
I rise in support.
The purpose of House Bill 1752, House Draft 1 is to increase judicial discretion by excluding certain non-violent offenders from the repeat offenders statute requiring mandatory minimum prison terms. The House is aware that the intent of this bill is to give back to Hawaii state judges discretion in sentencing certain defendants guilty of certain crimes as enumerated in the bill without requiring any minimum jail time or alternative sentencing methods if the circumstances do not require incarceration. Mandatory incarceration of defendants results in huge costs to the State and does not lead to a reduction in recidivism. According to the Judiciary, the incarceration of an adult defendant costs about $50,735 per year. The use of alternative courts, such as drug court or Hawaii’s Opportunity Probation with Enforcement (HOPE) program, costs about $8,000 per year for each defendant. In addition, the rates of recidivism for defendants graduating from these alternative courts are markedly lower than those leaving incarceration.
Thank you.
JON RIKI KARAMATSU 