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Judiciary panel OKs
By Gregg K. Kakesako
prison privatization
Star-BulletinThe Senate Judiciary Committee today approved a bill giving Gov. Ben Cayetano the authority to allow a private developer to construct and run the state's proposed
2,300-bed medium security prison.
The measure, clarifying powers lawmakers gave Cayetano last year to begin the process of building and running a new prison, still must be approved by the Senate Labor and Environment, and Ways and Means committees.
The House, however, leans toward building a minimum-security facility, with a heavy emphasis on drug treatment and rehabilitation. Rep. Nestor Garcia, chair of the House Public Safety Committee, will take up the prison issue Monday afternoon.
Garcia sees the new facility as being big enough to bring home 1,200 inmates, who are now at three mainland prisons because of overcrowding at the state's eight facilities.
Lawmakers will have to reconcile the differences between the two chambers before the Legislature adjourns May 2.
The governor wants authority to allow a private developer to build and run the new prison because he believes using state funds to build a new facility would mean postponing other needed state public works projects.
His move to privatize the new prison's operations is opposed by the state's major labor unions, including the United Public Workers, whose members include prison guards.
The proposed Senate bill would require the Department of Public Safety to hire monitors to oversee the operations of the privately run prison. In addition, Senate Judiciary Committee members want the state to have the power to levy financial penalties if an an inmate escapes.
Senate Health Committee Chair Suzanne Chun Oakley also recommended language in the bill to give the private prison operator financial incentives for programs that promote rehabilitation and recividism.
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