Dozens Of Hawaiʻi’s Mentally Ill Inmates To Move to Waiawa Prison
Summary
The head of Hawaii’s prison system plans to change part of the Waiawa Correctional Facility, a minimum-security prison, to better care for mentally ill inmates currently in the larger Hālawa prison. Only inmates who are stable on their medication and close to their release dates will move to Waiawa, which offers a less strict environment and more outdoor space.Key Facts
- Waiawa Correctional Facility is a minimum-security prison in Central Oʻahu with space for 334 men, currently housing 189.
- The plan is to clear out one dormitory at Waiawa and make it a therapeutic space for mentally ill inmates.
- Inmates transferred must be stabilized on medication and within 60 months of their release or parole dates.
- Waiawa is more open and less restrictive than Hālawa, offering outdoor areas and programs like education and substance abuse treatment.
- Concerns remain about whether Waiawa can provide specialized mental health care since it was not built for this purpose.
- The state has faced problems with mental illness in prisons, including suicides and a class-action lawsuit over poor mental health services.
- Recent inspections found that prisons are understaffed and provide inadequate treatment for mentally ill inmates.
- The state is asking for more money to hire healthcare workers like psychiatrists and nurses to improve mental health care in prisons.
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