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Parole eligibility bill draws concern that program access could limit release opportunities
Summary
Supporters want Hawaii Paroling Authority authority to waive program requirements in certain cases; the oversight commission warned mandatory program completion could unintentionally prolong incarceration because many eligible people lack access to programs. Committee deferred the bill for further responses.
The Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs took testimony on Senate Bill 3107, which would set conditions under which officers may arrest and the Hawaii Paroling Authority (HPA) may consider parole eligibility and to allow the HPA to waive certain program participation requirements in appropriate cases.
Haley Chang, first deputy of the Office of the Public Defender, said the office supports the bill specifically for language allowing the HPA to waive program participation when appropriate, noting that parole candidates sometimes cannot access required programs because of waits and capacity constraints. “We want to encourage the committee to pass this measure specifically with the language that allows the HPA to waive search and programming requirements,” Chang said.
Brian, serving as administrator for the Hawaii Paroling Authority in for the HPA chair, summarized benefits of requiring substance‑abuse, mental‑health or work‑release programming as gradual transition steps that improve stability, employment prospects and reentry outcomes. He said the proposed amendment would let the board waive requirements for inmates with an appointment history or prior completed treatment.
Kristen Johnson, oversight coordinator for the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, urged caution and said the commission opposed the bill as written because it could unintentionally keep people incarcerated if the Department of Corrections cannot place them in required programs. Johnson provided counts the commission had tracked: as of Jan. 28, 2026, about 60 individuals classified as community status were not in furlough placement and 238 people classified as minimum custody were still housed in higher‑level facilities, limiting program access.
A Department of Corrections representative acknowledged gaps in program availability tied to staffing and facility allocations and described a new classification pilot intended to move people through custody levels more quickly without disrupting essential programming.
Committee members said the testimony raised significant implementation questions and deferred SB3107 to Feb. 13 to allow the department and other participants to respond to concerns about program access and operations. No formal committee vote was taken at this session.
