David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Department of Public Safety (PSD) Health Care Division is working with the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) to conduct mass testing for COVID-19 at all correctional facilities statewide. The broad-based testing at the neighbor island jails is beginning with the staff. The Kauai Community Correctional Center staff were tested by the DOH Kauai District Office.  All 53 staff test results were negative.

“The jail staff are being tested first so we can make sure they are cleared and ready to assist when it’s time to begin inmate testing in the neighbor island jail facilities. Transient, pre-trial jail populations are very different from sentenced prison populations. The overcrowded conditions combined with the constant intake and release in the jail system present a unique set of challenges and requires thorough staffing, operational and logistical planning between DOH, PSD and the jail facilities before inmate testing can begin,” said Maria Cook, Deputy Director for Administration/Acting Director.

The order of the facilities next in line for inmate testing is being worked out. The Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF) is also undergoing staff testing this week with the help of the Hawaii National Guard.

“Many agencies are coming together to help us with our statewide staff testing.  We couldn’t do this without the Hawaii National Guard, the DOH neighbor island district offices, and community partners such as Waimanalo Health Center and Project Vision Hawaii,” said Deputy Director/Acting Director Cook.

PSD and the DOH are continuing mass testing of OCCC inmates to mitigate virus spread in the incarcerated population.  The 1 OCCC inmate test result received today was negative. There are currently no inmates hospitalized. The total number of inmates who have recovered increased to 307. There was 1 new positive OCCC staff test result reported today. Total PSD staff recoveries increased to 83.

Total PSD COVID-19 active and recovered cases as of 9/28/20: 

 

	STAFF		INMATES
	ACTIVE	RECOVERED	ACTIVE	RECOVERED
CORRECTIONS DIVISION
HCCC	0	0	1	0
KCCC	0	0	0	0
MCCC	0	0	0	0
OCCC	27	67	34	306
HCF	1	3	0	1
KCF	0	1	0	0
WCCC	0	2	0	0
WCF	1	2	0	0
LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION
SHERIFF DIVISION	1	7
NARCOTICS ENFORCEMENT DIV.	0	0
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION*	0	1
TOTAL**	30	83	35	307
*Administration Division includes administrative services, fiscal, personnel,
training and staff development and the offices under the Director.
**Numbers are subject to change as pending results are received.

 

For more information on PSD’s planning and response to COVID-19, inmate testing data, and information detailing the efforts made to safeguard the inmates, staff and public, visit our webpage at: https://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/

 

Toni Schwartz
Public Information Officer
Hawaii Department of Public Safety
Office: 808-587-1358
Cell: 808-683-5507
[email protected]
https://hawaii.gov/psd/
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