HONOLULU (KHON2) -- The State of Hawai‘i is taking significant steps to improve its correctional system, focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates into the community.
KHON2.com was able sit down with Tommy Johnson who is the Director of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He shared insights into these efforts and the ongoing projects aimed at creating a safer and more effective system.
In Hawai‘i, the state operates both jails and prisons, unlike on the continent where counties manage jails and states oversee prisons.
Hawai‘i has five jails, known as community correctional centers, and three prisons. Director Johnson explained, “We have the Halawa Medium Security Facility, the Kulani Correctional Facility on the Big Island, and the Waiawa Correctional Facility on O‘ahu.”
A significant focus has been on the Women’s Community Correctional Center (WCCC), which will soon house all female offenders from O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC).
This change is expected to improve safety and provide better facilities for female inmates. "It’s safer to have all the female offenders in one facility on O‘ahu," Johnson said.
The upgrades at WCCC include a new dormitory, an administration building, an intake service center, and enhanced security systems.
Rehabilitation is a key goal. WCCC offers various programs, including work furlough, substance abuse treatment, and therapeutic living. Director Johnson believes these programs are essential for reducing recidivism and helping inmates reintegrate into society.
“It’s important to provide evidence-based programs and wraparound services so that we can help change the trajectory of these people’s lives,” he noted.
Hawai‘i faces challenges with overcrowding in its correctional facilities. To manage this, some inmates are housed in private prisons on the mainland.
Currently, about 1,000 inmates are there, but this number will reduce to approximately 700 once repairs at Halawa are completed.
“We wish we had the room to keep them here, but we just don’t have the bed space in Hawai‘i,” Johnson explained.
The department is also addressing staff shortages. With a vacancy rate of about 28%, they are recruiting actively, conducting job fairs, and advertising in movie theaters and on public transportation.
“We’ve increased the number of classes for recruits from two to six this year,” Johnson said. They are also reaching out to military transition centers and universities to attract new hires.
Beyond infrastructure and staffing, the department emphasizes the importance of humane treatment and effective rehabilitation.
Johnson stressed, “95 to 97% of those incarcerated will eventually be released one day. It would be better for the state to have an effective humane correctional system that provides evidence-based programs and wraparound services.”
The ultimate aim is to reduce recidivism and ensure that inmates can become productive members of society.
“If we’re able to do it upfront, we can save the state tens of millions of dollars on the back end in services, prosecution, court costs, police costs, attorney's fees and all these other things,” Johnson said.
These efforts reflect a commitment to transforming the correctional system from a punitive model to one focused on rehabilitation and positive outcomes.
Director Johnson and his team are dedicated to overcoming challenges and creating a system that benefits both inmates and the broader community.
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As Hawai‘i continues to improve its correctional facilities and programs, the hope is to provide inmates with the tools and support they need to successfully reintegrate into society, reducing the likelihood of reoffending and contributing to a safer community for all.