State push for
new prison
may stall

A key senator questions
the governor's call for state,
not private, funding

By Gregg K. Kakesako
Star-Bulletin

Despite repeated pleas from prison officials to hasten the construction of a new 2,300-bed medium-security facility on the Big Island, at least one key senator doesn't see the need to approve government funds for the project this year.

Senate Ways and Means Co-chairman Andrew Levin wants time this session to explore whether spending $130 million in state funds is "the best approach."

Levin pointed out that Gov. Ben Cayetano initially suggested last year that the facility be built in the Big Island's Kau district, which Levin represents, using a private developer who would lease the facility back to the state.

Since then, Cayetano -- facing tremendous opposition from Kau residents -- decided to move the facility to state land in the Volcano area, just seven miles from the Kulani Correctional Facility, and to fund the project by floating government bonds.

"I told the governor that it was not a good idea to bring it back to the legislative forum," Levin told reporters after a three-hour Senate budget hearing yesterday.

"I assumed he changed his mind because it (private financing) was not the most cost-effective way to go."

State Budget Director Earl Anzai has said it would be cheaper to borrow the money for construction than to pay a private developer high rent to cover the cost.

But other lawmakers, such as Sen. David Matsuura (D, Hilo), seemed to indicate during the hearing that they are still interested in having a private developer pursue the matter.

There are other rumblings at the state Capitol that the prison controversy is far from over, with some legislators eyeing other Big Island sites.

During the hearing, Sen. Marshall Ige (D, Kaneohe) asked state Public Safety Director Ted Sakai if he was aware of concerns from University of Hawaii astronomers of possible light pollution problems a prison may have on observatories.

Sakai said such issues would be explored during the environmental impact statement process, which began in November.

Levin said the state now is paying between $45 to $50 a day to house 1,200 inmates in Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Minnesota prisons, compared to the $75 to $120 a day cost to keep inmates in eight island facilities.

Levin asked Sakai if there was any prohibition to sending more than 1,200 inmates to the mainland to curb the state's overcrowding problem. Currently, there are 3,569 inmates in the eight facilities, which are designed to hold 3,122.

He was told there was none.

Levin later said he asked Sakai the question because he doesn't see the need to approve Cayetano's request for $130 million this session if the state can continue to export inmates while other avenues, which could be more cost-beneficial, are explored.

"I have concerns and questions," Levin added. "And if they can't be answered this year, we have an alternative to send an unlimited number of people to the mainland."

Sakai said the state hopes to find a contractor this year and complete the prison -- twice the size of Oahu's Halawa Correctional Facility -- by 2002.

If there aren't any major changes to growth rates seen during the past decade, the Big Island facility should be adequate, giving the state an operational capacity of 5,600 beds, he said.

Sakai earlier in the hearing said he views mainland transfers as only a temporary solution. "The inmates are still ours," he said. "We need to know what is really going on."

The contract to house 1,200 inmates in mainland facilities will expire in 2001.