‘Aiea Neighborhood Board members, Honolulu Councilmember visits OCCC and selected site for new jail

News Release from Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, August 10, 2024 

HONOLULU — Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) officials led a tour through the narrow corridors of the O‘ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, for the ‘Aiea Neighborhood Board, where members observed rusted fencing, poor lighting and overcrowding at the aging facility.

The tour conducted by Deputy Director Pamela Sturz of the Correctional Institutions Division and OCCC Warden John Schell, is part of DCR’s ongoing community engagement and outreach efforts to inform the public about its plans to build a new OCCC. “We want to do the best that we can on this project,” Schell said.

Honolulu Councilmember Radiant Cordero, who represents District 7, was joined by ‘Aiea Neighborhood Board Chair Stephen Wood and three board members, who toured the correctional facility, a structure in Kalihi that includes a section that is 110 years old.

Deputy Director Sturz said, “When you have old, antiquated facilities that don’t meet the needs of offenders, you would have less of a positive impact on their outcomes and recidivism.”

During the tour, Schell told community leaders the correctional facility is not designed to today’s corrections standards. After the tour at OCCC, DCR officials and community leaders visited the selected site in Hālawa for the new jail.

The DCR is currently in the design phase of the project to be built at a state-owned site that is occupied by the Animal Quarantine Station. DCR’s vision is to build a unified correctional system focused on rehabilitation and reentry for those serving time in our facilities, to reduce recidivism and promote safer communities. 

The new O‘ahu jail is also projected to incorporate a modern jail design with technology and provide space for activities, programs and services such as education, vocational skills training, substance abuse treatment and medical/mental health services.

During Friday’s tour, DCR officials addressed members’ concerns about the new jail that will include a pre-release/transition center, a facility for inmates transitioning back into the community. The transition center will involve work-release programs.

After the tour, Wood said, “That was eye-opening for us.”

“It just reaffirmed what I’ve heard. We need a new jail. The facility is old,” Wood added. ‘Aiea Neighborhood Board members recognized the lack of space for programs and the need for a new jail to provide better conditions for both inmates and staff.

DCR is committed to building an efficient, long-lasting and safe facility that will incorporate current best practices.