Crowded conditions in state-run jails are aggravating the spread of Covid-19, but the portable cells have been no help so far.

The prosecutor and corrections officials say the releases aren’t needed to reduce the spread of Covid-19 because inmates now have access to vaccines.

The state will allow a five-member panel to review its efforts to control the spread of Covid-19 after more than 2,700 inmates were infected.

The filing argues the threat from Covid-19 inside Hawaii prisons and jails is greater now than it was last year when some prisoners were released.

Staff members at the Oahu Community Correctional Center blame the failure to follow proper procedures to reduce infections.

Settlement talks are underway including the creation of a panel to oversee reforms needed to cope with the pandemic in Hawaii’s prisons and jails.

HART is looking into helping to cover a $3.6 billion shortfall with a share of a new 3% city hotel tax, but the City Council is noncommittal and the hotel industry is wary.

The murder of Jacob Russell, 56, drew attention to Hawaii’s practice of withholding information when inmates die in custody.

The rail authority initially projected it would lose $435 million in tax collections during the pandemic, but the impact may be less severe.