Reopening prison is best in long run

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 17, 2012

~~<p>The Abercrombie administration's plans to reopen the minimum-security Kulani Correctional Facility on Hawaii island took another step forward last month with the release of a draft environmental assessment and an invitation for public comment. No serious issues there; the facility, closed just three years ago and now used for at-risk youth programs, is practically a turnkey property. Preparing the prison for a new crop of inmates will cost about $600,000 and have no significant impact on the environment, the assessment said.</p>
<p>The bigger news is what Kulani represents. The facility will serve as a key component in the state's ambitious and worthy Justice Reinvestment initiative, which seeks to reduce Hawaii's prison population through common-sense reforms.</p>
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The Abercrombie administration's plans to reopen the minimum-security Kulani Correctional Facility on Hawaii island took another step forward last month with the release of a draft environmental assessment and an invitation for public comment. No serious issues there; the facility, closed just three years ago and now used for at-risk youth programs, is practically a turnkey property. Preparing the prison for a new crop of inmates will cost about $600,000 and have no significant impact on the environment, the assessment said.

The bigger news is what Kulani represents. The facility will serve as a key component in the state's ambitious and worthy Justice Reinvestment initiative, which seeks to reduce Hawaii's prison population through common-sense reforms. Login for more...