Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 3, 1 Malaki 2006 — Out-of-state prisons [ARTICLE]

Out-of-state prisons

The Otter Creek Correctional Center, whieh houses Hawai'i's women inmates, appears to laek proper heahh services (one women has died of perhaps a mysterious illness and several others are sick). Could the fact that it is 30 degrees, the heating system doesn't work, the women have inadequate clothing and they simply aren't accustomed to such cold be more than is necessary for these inmates to suffer? Is it true that these

women are being fed gruel? Prisoners who communicate with their families have a better ehanee of leading a positive life. But how ean our Hawai'i prisoners maintain ties with their families when calls home must go through an operator, whieh makes telephone calls too expensive to be weekly events? It is wonderful that state Puhlie Safety Director Frank Lopez sent a team to investigate the Otter Creek Prison on lan. 23, but shouldn't prison reform advocate Kat Brady have been included as well as others who are not a part of the Department of Puhlie Safety to insure that the inmates ■ —

will not be too intimidated to speak the truth? Or is it time for the Hawai'i Legislature to review the issue of keeping inmates out of state? It is cheaper to maintain inmates on the mainland - $58 a day there versus $105 in Hawai'i. However, over $175 million of taxpayers' money went down a hlaek hole on the continent over the past 10 years. Wouldn't it be preferable to keep that money in Hawai'i? Should part of the state surplus be used to start building a prison here? Lela Hubbard 'Aiea, Hawai'i -