Prisons

Man Who Killed His OCCC Cellmate Gets 40 Years In Prison On Multiple Charges Kevin Dayton/Civil Beat/2023

Man Who Killed His OCCC Cellmate Gets 40 Years In Prison On Multiple Charges

Jail staff knew that admitted killer Ezequiel Zayas was mentally ill and should not have placed him in the cell that day, his lawyer said.

Inmate Found Dead In Apparent Suicide At Hilo Jail Was Due A Mental Evaluation Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Inmate Found Dead In Apparent Suicide At Hilo Jail Was Due A Mental Evaluation

A Honolulu lawyer plans to ask a federal judge to appoint a special master to force the state to provide better mental health care to inmates.

Hawaii Inmates Are Kept Behind Bars To Complete Programs They Can’t Get Into Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Hawaii Inmates Are Kept Behind Bars To Complete Programs They Can’t Get Into

Prisoners often face an uphill battle to complete drug and behavioral programs required by the parole board.

Did Misconduct Allegations Spur State’s $2M Settlement In Case Already Won? Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Did Misconduct Allegations Spur State’s $2M Settlement In Case Already Won?

The settlement of a lawsuit over sex assaults of female inmates came after a federal court judge announced plans to probe allegations of misconduct by state lawyers.

Lawmakers Set Up The State Prison Commission. Now They Don’t Want To Pay For It Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Lawmakers Set Up The State Prison Commission. Now They Don’t Want To Pay For It

The Correctional System Oversight Commission has provided the public with an unprecedented window into the operations of Hawaii’s troubled prisons and jails.

Oahu Jail Search Turns Up Drugs, Paraphernalia And Illicit Cellphones Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Oahu Jail Search Turns Up Drugs, Paraphernalia And Illicit Cellphones

The “shakedown” was partly prompted by unconfirmed reports that the beating death of an inmate was recorded on a cellphone, according to staff.

Female Inmate’s Case Raises Concern About Prolonged Pretrial Detainment At Hilo Jail Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Female Inmate’s Case Raises Concern About Prolonged Pretrial Detainment At Hilo Jail

Henrietta Stone, 65, has been locked up since 2017 while the court determines if she is mentally fit.

OCCC Inmate Death May Be The 4th Murder In A Hawaii Correctional Facility Since 2020 Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

OCCC Inmate Death May Be The 4th Murder In A Hawaii Correctional Facility Since 2020

Two other prisoners considered suspects were members of rival gangs who were locked up together in the same cell, staff said.

Hawaii’s Parole Board Is The Most Powerful In The Country. That May Change Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaii’s Parole Board Is The Most Powerful In The Country. That May Change

The paroling authority sets the minimum terms that inmates must serve before they can be released from prison, a task that other states assign to judges.