State prison director delays start of training for new recruits

State Public Safety director Ted Sakai has postponed the start of training for a new class of corrections officer recruits in wake of numerous errors by staff resulting in the escape of a murder suspect last month.

Sakai has postponed for a week the start of the next training class for 31 corrections recruits in order to make improvements to the testing and training program. 

Murder suspect Teddy Munet’s escape from corrections officials on Feb. 20 touched off an extensive search and the lockdown of several schools in the Kakaako area. Munet escaped while he was being escorted to the intake area of Circuit Court on Punchbowl Street. He was caught after severeal hours the same day on Waimanu Street.

Munet and seven others being transported to court was not wearing leg iron shackles, in violation of procedures that call for prisoners to be placed in leg irons during transport to and from court.

Munet ran away while getting out of a van at an exterior loading bay, instead of in an enclosed area inside the Circuit Court building.

Two corrections officers were reassigned to administrative duties pending an investigation, and steps were implemented by the department in handling inmates during transport.