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Prisons chief
disputes audit, insists
‘the public is safe’
A state report charges that
By Harold Morse
keys and weapons are gone and
raps the work furlough choices
Star-BulletinA state auditor's report accuses the state Department of Public Safety of breaches in security, including missing firearms, keys and hazardous tools in prison buildings.
The auditor also says some inmates who should not be released are sent to community furlough programs because of incorrect security classifications. The problem compromises the well-being of the public, employees and other inmates, the auditor said.
The audit also criticizes Ted Sakai, director of the Department of Public Safety, accusing him of inadequate leadership to ensure effective, efficient staffing and adequate control and limits on overtime abuses.
The department disagreed that public safety was compromised or that Sakai has not provided adequate leadership.
Sakai said he took steps to double-check audit claims. "I'm really relieved and happy to report that the public is safe," he said.
"For example, the auditor said they took a sample of our weapons and found that 10 weapons could not be accounted for. What our people did was they looked for every weapon and they found every weapon there. We looked at the complete inventory. Now there were two that were actually missing," Sakai said. "One was lost in 1970, and the other was lost about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, at the time we didn't take care of the paperwork."
But this is now remedied, he said. "The paperwork should be in order."
He also contradicted the finding that some inmates in the work-release program shouldn't be there.
"What we did -- we reviewed every record and were satisfied that everybody who was on work-release is appropriately placed." Some complaint was registered at how such classifications are arrived at, Sakai said.
"We acknowledge that we have some administrative problems, but these administrative problems don't justify their findings that public safety is jeopardized."
Sakai also blasted audit findings on security staffing, noting auditors are "wrong on every example."
"Another important thing I want to emphasize, we know we have problems. Everybody knows. What we've focused on are the real priority areas -- overcrowding, overtime, overpayments and inmate abuse. We've made a lot of progress," Sakai said.
The auditor's office said the department's criticism of its report lacked merit, insisting it followed the department's own standards, policies and procedures, as well as accepted corrections profession standards and accepted management principles.
The audit also makes allegations of inadequate screening of visitors and deliveries, inoperable security equipment and so few searches for contraband that safety is compromised.
It says inmates are not provided with adequate health care and that initial health and dental exams and routine physicals are not completed for many inmates or are late.
It also claims failure to address inmate grievances in a timely manner results in inadequate protection from cruel and unusual punishment and deprives inmates of rights guaranteed under federal law and rules. The audit goes on to say efforts to eliminate abusive leave patterns need improvement. Although a sick leave abuse program initially cut overtime decreases, overtime subsequently increased, it says.
Among other Public Safety points in response to the audit are:
All security keys are accounted for.
http://www.state.hi.us
