Hawaii senators Friday almost unanimously confirmed Gov. Josh Green’s pick to oversee operations of the state’s correctional system, Tommy Johnson.
In confirming Johnson as director of the Department of Public Safety, expectations are high that the new leader, who had been the department’s deputy director for corrections since November 2020, will improve work conditions that include some corrections officers working only seven months a year by allegedly abusing leave options that force others to work immense amounts of lucrative and costly overtime.
“For years, staffing and morale have been significant challenges at DPS,” Sen. Glenn Wakai told colleagues on the Senate chamber floor Friday before the 22-1 vote was cast. “Last year (DPS) overtime cost taxpayers $34 million. Mr. Johnson has assembled a management team to address this lingering issue.”
Wakai, chair of the Senate Committee on Public Safety and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, led a public hearing on Johnson’s appointment on April 5 where committee members voted 4-0 to recommend confirmation.
At the hearing, several adult correctional officers, or ACOs, opposed Johnson’s confirmation over issues of high staff vacancies and mandatory overtime shifts that can be 16 to 24 hours long.
DPS has 1,230 ACOs, or 80% of the number authorized, though Johnson said at the hearing that some of the need for overtime shifts is due to ACOs manipulating sick leave and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to avoid work.
Wakai (D, Kalihi-Salt Lake-Pearl Harbor) said Friday that Johnson met with union leaders representing ACOs this past week to iron out differences, discussing several issues including joint recruitment efforts and incentives for employees who show up for work as scheduled.
“I admire Mr. Johnson’s willingness to make peace with his adversaries,” Wakai said. “Changing the work ethic in any environment is not easy.”
The no vote for confirming Johnson was from Sen. Karl Rhoads (D, Nuuanu- Downtown-Iwilei), who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Johnson is the ninth state department director confirmed to date by the Senate out of 20 appointed by Green subject to confirmation. The rest are slated for decisions in the coming weeks.
Three of Green’s Cabinet appointments suffered defeat in the Senate earlier this year. Ikaika Anderson withdrew his bid to lead the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands after a negative committee vote. Chris Sadayasu lost on an 8-15 vote for confirming him to head the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Scott Glenn, appointed to run the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, failed to be confirmed with a 12-12 vote.
