By Sophie Cocke scocke@staradvertiser.com
Posted on September 21, 2016 12:05 am
Updated on September 22, 2016 at 12:32 pm
As the state moves forward on a legislative directive to find a new location for Oahu’s severely overcrowded jail in Kalihi, the director of the Hawaii Department of Public Safety says officials should be taking the long view and considering options that could also allow the state to bring home all of its inmates incarcerated on the mainland.
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Complicating our challenges over corrections, is an ongoing counterpoint as to who might benefit economically by tearing down the current structure, and or moving it to another place, owned by someone else. Land use and other interests – some connected to the rail, some not – are there just below the surface.
good point. Always peek behind the curtain of power.
Put the new prison in a rural area. Bring the judges and court process out to the prison two days a week. Have the prisoners grow food crops for their own consumption and for sale to the public.
Kahoolawe comes to mind
does the State have unused buildings downtown? Maybe like an 8 story building that could be retrofitted into a prison complex.
So why not continue sending them to the mainland?
Two words: SECOND CITY
And the prisoners can come and go via the RAIL FAIL
ha ha ha
“close enough to downtown for pretrial jail inmates to easily make court appearances in downtown Honolulu.” – Why is this a concern? Anywhere on Oahu is close enough to downtown. Workers commute from Waianae and Kaneohe to downtown. Do prisoners need better treatment that law-abiding citizens?
Excellent point.
Barbers Point Prison. Kapolei Prison. Hoopili Prison.
Set up Courts out there….nice and close by.
Why NOT??
Oh, yeah…developers might not sell homes so easily…
What was supposed to happen: After the new judicial complex was built in Kapolei, the courts were supposed to relocate from the crowded downtown area…the jail was supposed to follow suit and build in Kalaeoloa putting it close to the court complex so inmates could be moved back and forth for court.
What really happened: After the Judiciary got their posh complex, the Justices refused to make the drive from their Hawaii Kai villas all the way out to Kalaeloa. So the justices remained at the Alakea complex and OCCC never moved.