Off to a slow start, the new commissioners say they want to take a wide-ranging look at the entire criminal justice system.
Hawaii Behind Bars
How Hawaii is managing its troubled prison system, including four prisons and four jails in Hawaii, and a contract private prison in Arizona.
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Three Hawaii Correctional Facilities Ban Contact Visits Despite Potential Benefits
Studies suggest non-contact visits can be harmful for families, especially children.
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Public Safety Department Wants 15 More Guards But Can’t Fill Vacancies
Some members of the House Finance Committee want to know how the new positions can be justified.
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A Baking Job Helped A Federal Offender Transform Her Life After Prison
A Honolulu nonprofit’s support was essential to turning Kellyn Cabral’s life around, she says.
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Critics: New Hawaii Prison Commissioners Too Connected To Long-Troubled System
The new state commission is supposed to bring a new vision for prisons. But it’s made up of people who have been part of the problem.
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SLIDESHOW: Inside Hawaii’s Prisons And Jails
Civil Beat reporter Yoohyun Jung and photographer Cory Lum visited six state correctional facilities last week. No surprise, the facilities are overcrowded and seriously in need of repair.
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New Oahu Jail Project Is Stalling Out Over Lack Of Cash, Community Support
OCCC has a five-year master plan, but it’s unclear when the five-year period starts or ends, and nobody wants to pay for it.
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New Ideas For Transforming Hawaii’s Prisons
From alternatives to incarceration to storytelling to more legal action, experts on law and justice have plenty of thoughts on improving Hawaii’s system.
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ACLU: Hawaii Needs Fewer People In Prison, More Treatment Programs
A new “Smart Justice” report argues the public would be safer if people got help instead of punishment.