Severely ill prisoners granted early release are left stuck behind bars 71
Summary
Several prisoners in Hawai'i who are very sick and have been approved for early release cannot leave prison because long-term care facilities refuse to take them. This problem exists across the U.S., where nursing homes often reject former prisoners due to their criminal history or because of Medicaid payment rules.Key Facts
- Christian Alameda, a prisoner at Halawa Correctional Facility, was granted compassionate release after a stroke but remains in the prison infirmary because no long-term care facility would accept him.
- At least three other prisoners in Hawai'i face the same issue and stay in the prison medical unit indefinitely.
- Compassionate release allows very ill prisoners to leave prison early for medical care but usually requires placement in a nursing home or similar facility.
- Many care facilities refuse prisoners due to their past crimes or concerns about safety.
- Medicaid does not cover prisoners, so parolees must apply after release, and recent law changes limit when facilities can get paid for new patients.
- Long waiting lists at nursing homes add to the difficulty of placing released prisoners.
- Hawai'i has no specific compassionate release law and uses internal policies instead, unlike other states.
- The limited resources and rules contribute to prisoners staying in prison medical units far longer than intended.
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