State will spend $2.6M for repairs at 6 prisons
Associated Press
The state will spend more than $2.6 million to repair air-conditioning systems and other infrastructure at six state prisons.
The work will not add any inmate capacity to the state's overloaded corrections system, only upgrade what is already in place. Hawaii keeps more than 2,000 prisoners on the mainland because it does not have enough cells in the islands to detain them here.
"The repairs for these facilities are necessary to ensure the health, safety and security of inmates and correctional facility employees," Gov. Linda Lingle said in a statement.
The biggest item on the new budget is $939,000 for the replacement of two air conditioners at Oahu Community Correctional Center.
Maui's prison will have its air-conditioning chiller replaced for $573,000. The state will also spend $356,000 upgrading the generator at Kauai Community Correctional Center to run on diesel fuel instead of propane.
Other projects include:
» $313,500 to replace a 20-year-old emergency generator at Halawa Correctional Facility.
» $244,000 to improve the air-conditioning system at the Punahele housing facility at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center.
» $200,000 to build offices and classrooms for a Hawaii Community Correctional Center vocational training program.
The state houses about 3,500 inmates in Hawaii. It also keeps another roughly 2,100 on the mainland.