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Prison rape elimination bill passes conference

MEDIA RELEASE

The conference committee members of the House and Senate have passed HB2266 HD1 SD1 CD1 Relating to Corrections. The bill, introduced by Rep. Cindy Evans, will require the Department of Public Safety to address the issue of sexual assault in prisons.

“The bill came about from a rape that occurred in Kentucky, where we housed Hawaii women prisoners,” Evans said. “This past summer, I received a call from the rape victim’s mother and researched current practices by the Department Of Public Safety. This bill will move us toward better practices regarding response and aftercare when an inmate who is under the care of the State has been traumatized.”

HB2266 HD1 SD1 CD1 will place priority upon establishing appropriate counseling services for inmates who are victims of sexual assault and place priority upon establishing standards of transparency to achieve a zero-tolerance policy for prison sexual assault.

This measure will also require the department to provide annual data regarding acts of sexual assault and sexual misconduct and require it to report to the State Legislature on any implementation of the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003.

Kat Brady, coordinator of the Community Alliance on Prisons, said, “This is a victory of human rights and for transparency. The public has a right to know how their hard earned dollars are being spent, and this bill will shine a light on a very dark corner of our correctional system.”

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