Kalihi prison is locked in battle against bedbugs

Inmate complaints are prompting Oahu Community Correctional Center officials to use pesticides, heat and steam along with disposal of mattresses, bedding and towels to try to eradicate bedbugs.

Toni Schwartz, Department of Public Safety spokes­woman, said it’s a continuing problem at the 950-bed Kalihi prison.

"I do not know if it’s worse than in the past, but we will do the treatments to get rid of it just like we have done in the past," Schwartz said. "We started eradication procedures after complaints from inmates began coming in last month."

The infestation is confined to OCCC’s Module 20, which houses 120 work furlough inmates.

Work furlough inmates are allowed to leave the prison daily to participate in programs to help them reintegrate into society before they are released.

"The chances of bedbugs getting into the facility increase due to the transient population in that module," Schwartz said. "Just like with hotels, hospitals and other places that have a lot of transient people in close quarters, bedbugs can become an issue that repeatedly has to be taken care of."

Heat and steam are the best ways to kill bedbugs, she said, adding, "We realize the bedbugs are an issue, not only for inmates, but for our staff as well who have to work in that module. We are doing everything we can to get rid of the problem.

"Whenever we get complaints from inmates that there are bedbugs, we start procedures to get rid of them," Schwartz said.