HONOLULU — Honolulu City Council member Radiant Cordero and members of the Aiea Neighborhood Board got a first-hand look at aging, overcrowded Oahu Community Correctional Facility as well as the site of the facility that will eventually replace it during an official tour last week.

What You Need To Know

  • The tour was conducted by state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation deputy director Pamela Sturz and warden John Schell
  • Honolulu City Council member Radiant Cordero and Aiea Neighborhood Board members observed rusted fencing, poor lighting and overcrowded conditions at OCCC, according to DCR
  • The new facility, to be constructed on the state-owned site in Halawa currently occupied by the Animal Quarantine Station, remains in the design stage amid budget constraints and ongoing opposition from the ACLU and others who argue that emphasis should be placed on keeping people out of jail rather than constructing new facilities
  • The $900,000 facility will incorporate a modern jail design with technology and provide space for activities, programs and services such as education, vocational skills training, substance abuse treatment and medical/mental health services

The tour, conducted by state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation deputy director Pamela Sturz and warden John Schell, was offered as part of DCR’s ongoing efforts to inform the community about its plans to build a new facility.

During the visit, Cordero and the neighborhood board members observed rusted fencing, poor lighting and overcrowded conditions at OCCC, according to DCR.

“When you have old, antiquated facilities that don’t meet the needs of offenders, you would have less of a positive impact on their outcomes and recidivism,” Schell said.

Schell said the OCCC, which includes a section that is 110 years old, was not built to current correctional standards.

The new facility, to be constructed on the state-owned site in Halawa currently occupied by the Animal Quarantine Station, remains in the design stage amid budget constraints and ongoing opposition from the ACLU and others who argue that emphasis should be placed on keeping people out of jail rather than constructing new facilities.

DCR said it intends to “build a unified correctional system focused on rehabilitation and reentry for those serving time in our facilities, to reduce recidivism and promote safer communities.”

To that end, the new facility, projected to cost $900,000, will incorporate a modern jail design with technology and provide space for activities, programs and services such as education, vocational skills training, substance abuse treatment and medical/mental health services, according to DCR. It will also include a pre-release transition center for inmates transitioning back to the community.

“We want to do the best that we can on this project,” Schell said. 

Aiea Neighborhood Board chair Stephen Wood called the site visit “eye-opening.”

“It just reaffirmed what I’ve heard,” he said. “We need a new jail. The facility is old,” Wood added. "‘Aiea Neighborhood Board members recognized the lack of space for programs and the need for a new jail to provide better conditions for both inmates and staff.”

Michael Tsai covers local and state politics for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at michael.tsai@charter.com.