Newswatch
State Public Safety Director Keith Kaneshiro notified the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii earlier this month that the facility is exceeding its 110-inmate capacity by as many as 41 inmates on a given day.
Civil rights attorney Daniel Foley said the inmate count is the highest since a federal court consent decree was imposed in 1985 to improve conditions at both the women's prison and Oahu Community Correctional Center.
Complicating matters, a new 54-bed unit at the women's prison that was originally scheduled to be completed next month is not expected to be ready for inmates until after summer.
Rainy weather has delayed the renovation of Olomana Cottage, Kaneshiro said.
The state is required to notify the ACLU when it goes over capacity at WCCC or OCCC, which is currently at its 675-inmate limit, as part of the consent decree.
Citing improvements and the state's commitment to create more prison space, the ACLU agreed in December to join the state in seeking an end to the federal monitoring.
Yesterday, Kaneshiro acknowledged the current overcrowding problems at the women's prison could throw a kink in that agreement.
"It's not something I'm hiding," he said. "I'm not hiding the fact that we're over capacity. I'm publicly saying it all over the place. I think people know the real problem - how critical the overcrowding problem is."
The 28 children, under teacher Luana Fox, produced a 10-minute video for the contest, sponsored by the National Potato Promotion Board in conjunction with the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. They learned yesterday they won the contest, which drew more than 525 entries.
The video featured a "live" interview with students posing as colonists on Mars, as well as a Mars national anthem written and performed by the entire class.
They will visit Disney World and Epcot Center on spring break.
Police said Taylor was a passenger in a speeding car that veered off California Avenue and crashed into a church office at Trinity Lutheran Church and School.
The driver, a 42-year-old man, remained in critical condition at Queen's Hospital.
Steven Ako, 31, was arrested at his Kinau Street residence Monday. He is being held on $45,000 bail.
Police recovered a .45-caliber handgun.
The couple, who had lived together for seven years, had ended their relationship in October.
He allegedly had been threatening her since November through mutual friends, police said.
The man, who reportedly was wearing a black ski mask, came into the unlocked building and brandished a handgun at employees, police said. But the workers quickly slipped out a back door and called police shortly after 2 p.m.
Police said it appears nothing was taken.
On Wednesday they issued a two-sentence statement saying "possible violations of procedures" are under investigation there.
"Because of its importance to the Police Department and the fact that the investigation is ongoing, police are withholding any information until the investigation is complete," they said.
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