Dozens Of Hawaiʻi’s Mentally Ill Inmates To Move to Waiawa Prison

The Department of Defense's seal appeared on a podium during a press briefing at the Pentagon on October 29, 2024, as reported by AP Photo's Kevin Wolf. In Hawaii, the head of the state prison system, Tommy Johnson, announced plans to transform part of the minimum security Waiawa Correctional Facility in Central Oahu to serve as a new home for mentally ill inmates currently housed in the state's largest prison, Hālawa Correctional Facility.

These men, who would meet the criteria for transfer, are minimum-security prisoners who are on stable medication and nearing their parole or release dates. Johnson explained that the dormitory would be cleared out and converted into a therapeutic environment, which Johnson claims is superior to Hālawa, offering an outdoor setting and significantly less restrictive conditions.

Waiawa, a minimum-security work camp situated in a secluded area of Central Oahu approximately 3 miles from Mililani Memorial Park cemetery, currently has a capacity for 334 men, though it only houses 189 inmates as of the previous week. These inmates engage in educational or substance abuse treatment programs. Johnson's proposal has received acclaim from certain experts who have expressed concerns over the limited mental health services within the prison system, but it has also faced criticism.

Representative Trish La Chica, representing Hawaii's state House district, expressed doubt about the care Waiawa will provide to inmates that Hālawa cannot. La Chica noted that Waiawa, being a minimum-security facility without bars, was not constructed to serve as a specialized mental health treatment facility.