The head of the state prison system plans to overhaul part of the minimum security Waiawa Correctional Facility in Central Oʻahu to create a new space for prisoners with mental illness who are now being held in the state’s largest prison.
The men who would qualify to transfer from Hālawa Correctional Facility to Waiawa would be minimum-security prisoners who are stabilized on their medications and are approaching their parole or release dates, according to Tommy Johnson, director of the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
“We’re looking at clearing out an entire dormitory and converting that to a more therapeutic environment for them,” Johnson said. “It’s a better environment than Hālawa, and it’s outdoors, and it’s considerably less restrictive, so we think that’s better.”…