A law passed in 2017 required the state to provide convicts with identification upon release to help them manage on the outside.

Commissioners say the state is stalling the hiring process of a director, while pushing forward to pursue a public-private partnership for a new Oahu jail complex.

The charges were announced Thursday, a day after the corrections officer was searched at the Oahu Community Correctional Center.

Advocates say they’ve had to take over reentry services for prisoners released because of COVID-19 worries.

The state has released more than 800 inmates since early March. Three county prosecutors say the public safety risk outweighs COVID-19 dangers.

An attorney alleges that more than a dozen staff members have COVID-19. CoreCivic says two have tested positive.

Criminal justice stakeholders have been working to reduce the jail population in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company that runs Saguaro Correctional Center says proper pandemic protocols are being followed.

The court also required that motions for release be filed by April 20.