Prison officials question
Mansho’s cell placement

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Star-Bulletin staff

Former City Councilwoman Rene Mansho has been moved to a dormitory in the Women's Community Correctional Center as the Department of Public Safety looks into whether she was given special treatment when she began serving a one-year sentence last week.

Mansho, who was convicted June 26 for felony theft, had been in a two-person drug treatment program cell.

Public Safety Director Ted Sakai said he learned that Mansho was in an "inappropriate housing area."

"She was placed in a housing unit that is supposed to be all drug treatment. There she was afforded a cell with one roommate," Sakai said.

He said there were other inmates who were waiting to get into drug treatment, so he ordered Mansho moved from the two-person cell to Ahiki Cottage, a minimum-security dormitory-type housing.

The warden of the women's prison is on vacation, and Sakai said he has to talk to him to find out why Mansho was placed in the two-person cell and if Mansho was given special treatment.