Requesting The Judicial Council To Appoint A Committee To Review And Recommend Revisions To The Hawaii Penal Code.
Impact
The requested committee is tasked with ensuring that judicial discretion is applied consistently and fairly. This could lead to a more standardized approach to assessing leniency or severity in sentencing, particularly for individuals who may benefit from therapeutic interventions such as substance abuse treatment. By improving judicial consistency, the resolution aims to minimize the vast range of potential sentences that repeat offenders currently face, addressing fundamental fairness in the legal system.
Summary
HCR16 is a House Concurrent Resolution that requests the Judicial Council to appoint a committee to review and recommend revisions to the Hawaii Penal Code, specifically focusing on sentencing for repeat offenders. The bill addresses concerns that the current system allows for significant discrepancies in sentencing outcomes based on the individual judge's decisions, leading to inconsistent applications of the law. The resolution highlights a troubling case involving an individual with over 160 convictions, suggesting that the existing laws require re-evaluation to foster more equitable treatment of repeat offenders.
Contention
While the bill promotes fairness and consistency, there may be concerns regarding how such a committee's recommendations will ultimately be implemented in practice. Critics may argue that there is a fine balance between the need for consistent sentencing and the capacity of judges to consider the unique circumstances of each case. Additionally, discussions surrounding the potential constraints on judicial discretion as a result of the committee's recommendations could create contention among stakeholders, including judicial advocates, prosecutors, and defense attorneys.
Requesting The Office Of Hawaiian Affairs To Identify The Scope Of Native Hawaiian Cultural Appropriateness For The Purpose Of Addressing Native Hawaiian Disparities.
Requesting The Department Of Law Enforcement To Convene A Search And Rescue Working Group To Develop And Make Recommendations To Deter Hikers From Entering Illegal Hiking Trails And To Address Rising Search And Rescue Costs Facing The State And Counties Due To Increased Illegal Hiking Traffic.
Requesting The Women's Corrections Implementation Commission To Develop A Strategy And Make Recommendations To Reduce The Number Of Women Incarcerated At The Women's Community Correctional Center By Twenty-five Percent Over The Next Five Years.
Urging The United States Department Of The Interior To Work With The Office Of The Governor, Department Of Hawaiian Home Lands, United States Congressional Delegations From Hawaii, And Sovereign Council Of Hawaiian Homestead Associations To Make A Determination In Support Of Act 80, Session Laws Of Hawaii 2017.
Declaring That Bullying Is A Matter Of Statewide Concern; Requesting The Department Of Education To Update Its Rules And Policies To Address Bullying; And Requesting The Hawaii State Council On Developmental Disabilities To Convene A Task Force To Address The Bullying Of Disabled Children.
Requesting That The Department Of The Attorney General Convene A Sexual Exploitation Of Minors Steering Committee To Identify Issues Relating To The Sexual Exploitation Of Minors In The State.
Requesting That The Department Of The Attorney General Convene A Sexual Exploitation Of Minors Steering Committee To Identify Issues Relating To The Sexual Exploitation Of Minors In The State.