Hawaii Inmates on the Mainland RED ROCK & SAGUARO
A Report from Eloy, Arizona
By Hawaii State Senator Will Espero
Senators Norman Sakamoto, Clarence Nishihara, and I recently visited the Red Rock and Saguaro Correctional facilities on the mainland to meet with prisoners, inspect the facilities, meet with prison officials, and review the programs and services available to our inmates. The site visit was very informative and productive, and when the majority of our male Hawaii inmates are transferred from the Red Rock site to the new Saguaro facility, the monitoring and oversight of the prison and its inmates should be easier and more efficient.
The Saguaro facility just opened in July for our Hawaii inmates, and all inmates incarcerated here will be only from Hawaii. Being new, SCC is in excellent condition in the middle of rural country land between Phoenix and Tucson.
Unfortunately, not all programs were up and running as I expected, however, since the prison is still in transition accepting Hawaii prisoners, I expect the prison to be close to fully operational by early next year. I compare opening a new prison to opening a new school, and thought more should have been available on the first day of operations. After hearing reasons for the delay, I will wait until early next year to see more satisfactory results, and the Hawaii Department of Public Safety will closely monitor the transition period.
Programs and services which are or will be available to our Hawaii inmates include electrical training, woodwork or carpentry skills, computer training, music, GED classes, adult basic education, faith-based programs, Hawaiian cultural programs, animal care working with a local humane society, drug treatment, library services, life skills, and hobbies which can be done in individual cells. Senate Bill 932 which passed last session emphasizes re-entry and rehabilitation programs, and it appears the Arizona facilities are on the way to accommodating these important classes and needs. I fully expect all these to be available by first quarter of next year. The current contract with Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) is $52 million a year, and minimizing recidivism and cutting prison costs through re-entry programs and support makes a lot of sense.
Eight hundred and sixty-four out of 1300 inmates at SCC had prison jobs, and many others expressed an interest in getting a prison job. Work furlough is not available to prisoners in Arizona, so a prison job is the next best thing available to them.
There were inmate concerns brought to our attention, and these will be looked into on a case by case basis. It is my hope that we fund an Arizona-based part-time prison advocate to check with the prisoners on a weekly basis and make certain their needs are being met and their grievances, if any, are being resolved. DPS is responsible for monitoring the contract with Corrections Corporation of America.
A major concern discussed by some prisoners was the distance away from their families and loved-ones, and expanding video conferencing will be a priority. Prisoners complained about the high cost of a long distance call at 25 cents per minute, and my office will check if less expensive rates could be available for our inmates. It does not appear that gang issues or safety of our prisoners are significant issues, and from what I was able to witness, the prison facilities are safe and secure. Drugs in the facilities do not appear to be a problem as both inmates and staff are randomly tested.
In an ideal setting, all of our inmates would be housed in Hawaii. However, since we have a shortage of bed space, the Arizona facilities appear to be satisfactory in helping us deal with our overcrowding. Next year, I plan on visiting SCC again and look forward to reporting more positive results.
On a similar issue, my committee is working with the Department of Public Safety to return to Hawaii the 175 women prisoners currently incarcerated in Kentucky. One possibility is to house the women at the Federal Detention Center near the airport by the end of next year. Being in Hawaii benefits the inmates and their families who respond better to treatment and services with support nearby.
Senator Will Espero represents the 20th Senatorial District (Waipahu, Ewa, Ewa Beach and West Loch) on the Island of Oahu. He also serves as the Chair of the Senate’s Public Safety Committee.