Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation explained

Agencyname:Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
Abbreviation:DCR
Logocaption:Seal of Hawaii
Motto:Hawaiian: He Au Hou("a new era")[1]
Formedyear:2024
Formedmonthday:January 1
Preceding1:Hawaii Department of Public Safety
Country:United States of America
Countryabbr:U.S.
Divtype:U.S. stateState
Divname:Hawaii
Map:Map of USA HI.svg
Sizearea:10931sqmi
Sizepopulation:1,455,271 (2020 census)
Police:Yes
Headquarters:Honolulu, Hawaii
Chief1name:Tommy Johnson[2]
Chief1position:Director
Chief2name:Melanie Martin[3]
Chief2position:Deputy Director of Administration
Chief3name:VACANT[4]
Chief3position:Deputy Director of Corrections
Chief4name:Sanna Muñoz[5]
Chief4position:Deputy Director for Rehabilitation Services and Programs

The Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) is a department within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The mission of the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is "to provide a secure correctional environment for comprehensive rehabilitative, holistic, and wraparound re-entry services to persons sentenced to our custody and care with professionalism, integrity, respect, and fairness."[6]

History and establishment

Prior to 2024, the department was called as the Hawaii Department of Public Safety and it managed Hawaii's jails and prisons as well as some of the state's law enforcement functions, including the Hawaii State Sheriff. Beginning on January 1, 2024, as directed by Act 278, which was passed by the Hawaii State Legislature in 2022,[7] those law enforcement functions were moved into a separate Department of Law Enforcement, while the Department of Public Safety retained the corrections functions and was renamed as the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.[8] [9] According to the Act 278, the Legislature believed that the reorganization would "allow the efficient use of resources in administering correctional programs and administering and maintaining public and private correctional services."

Organization

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has the following divisions: Office of the Director, Administration, Corrections, and Rehabilitation Services and Programs.

Office of the Director

Administration Division

This division provides administrative support to the department. It comprises the fiscal office, human resources office, and training and staff development.

Corrections Division

The Corrections Division comprises the following units:

Institutions Division

See also: List of Hawaii state prisons.

Jails

The division oversees four jails, which house pretrial inmates, short-term misdemeanants, and felony offenders who have almost completed their sentences:

Prisons

The division is also responsible for overseeing four prisons:

Kulani Correctional Facility is located on the Big Island of Hawaii, while the remaining three prisons are located on the island of Oahu.

Private prisons

In 1995 the State of Hawaii began contracting with prisons outside of Hawaii to house prisoners from Hawaii.[11] The criteria for sending inmates to private prisons on the mainland include a minimum sentence of 24 months, a lack of pending criminal cases in Hawaii, and a lack of major health and medical issues. Attorney Daphne Barbee said that she had clients with cases pending who were sent to the mainland anyway.[12] According to Kevin Dayton of the Honolulu Advertiser, some inmates prefer to stay on the mainland for superior educational programs, drug treatment programs, and other programs that a prisoner would complete before he or she is considered for parole. Other prisoners, particularly those with young children and families, prefer to stay in Hawaii.[13]

The Mainland Section initially contracted with three facilities, one in Kentucky and two in Arizona, to house prisoners sentenced in Hawaii.[14]

The Kentucky prison, Otter Creek Correctional Center, was a designated women's prison run by Corrections Corporation of America. After numerous reports of prison staff sexually abusing inmates, Hawaii brought its prisoners home from the facility in August 2009. CCA closed the facility in 2013.[15]

The state also removed its prisoners from CCA's Red Rock Correctional Center in Arizona in 2014.[16]

About 1,900 male Hawaii state inmates are held at CCA's Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, Arizona. This represents the majority of Hawaii's male inmate population.[17] [18] [19]

Rehabilitation Services and Programs Division

The Rehabilitation Services and Programs Division provides education, job training, and furlough programs and resources to inmates.

Attached agencies

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Provides Hope for a Brighter Future for Inmates and Employees . State of Hawaii . (dcr.hawaii.gov) . January 5, 2024.
  2. Web site: Office of the Director . State of Hawaii . (dcr.hawaii.gov) . January 4, 2024.
  3. Web site: Administration Division . State of Hawaii . (dcr.hawaii.gov) . January 4, 2024.
  4. Web site: Corrections Division . State of Hawaii . (dcr.hawaii.gov) . January 4, 2024.
  5. Web site: Rehabilitation Services and Programs Division . State of Hawaii . (dcr.hawaii.gov) . January 4, 2024.
  6. Web site: About . State of Hawaii . (dcr.hawaii.gov) . January 4, 2024.
  7. Book: Session Laws of Hawaii 2022 . Revisor of Statutes, State of Hawaii . 766 . Act 278.
  8. Web site: Department of Public Safety . Effective January 1, 2024, the Department of Public Safety (PSD) will be redesignated as the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR). At that time, all law enforcement personnel, including the Sheriff Division (SD) and Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED) will transition to the newly created Department of Law Enforcement (DLE)..
  9. News: Argel . Arielle . Hawaii Department of Public Safety officially splits into two new departments on Jan. 1 . KITV Island News . December 29, 2023.
  10. Web site: Corrections Division . State of Hawaii . (dcr.hawaii.gov) . January 4, 2024.
  11. News: Kakesako . Gregg K. . September 4, 2010 . Third Hawaii inmate faces death penalty in Arizona . live . . https://web.archive.org/web/20200504143206/https://www.staradvertiser.com/2010/09/04/hawaii-news/third-hawaii-inmate-faces-death-penalty-in-arizona/ . May 4, 2020 . May 3, 2020 .
  12. McNarie, Alan D. "Death, detention and dollars." Honolulu Weekly. May 19, 2010. Retrieved on September 30, 2010.
  13. Dayton, Kevin. "Arizona prison will house Hawaii inmates." The Honolulu Advertiser. Tuesday June 26, 2007. Retrieved on September 30, 2010.
  14. Web site: Department of Public Safety.
  15. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/us/26kentucky.html Ian Urbina, "Hawaii to Remove Inmates Over Abuse Charges
  16. Web site: Riot at Red Rock Correctional Facility in Arizona Under Investigation. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Today. 12 August 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161013101549/http://cdcrtoday.blogspot.com/2010/12/riot-at-red-rock-correctional-facility.html. 13 October 2016. dead.
  17. "Halawa Correctional Facility." Hawaii Department of Public Safety. Retrieved on May 19, 2010.
  18. Brady, Kat. "Using private prisons costs more than it seems." (editorial) Honolulu Star Advertiser. June 18, 2010. Retrieved on September 29, 2010.
  19. "Saguaro Correctional Center ." Corrections Corporation of America. Retrieved on September 30, 2010.

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