Halawa prison
inmate found
hanged in cell
The unnamed man's death
By Jaymes K. Song
is the fourth hanging this
year in a state prison
Star-BulletinA 33-year-old Halawa prison inmate was found hanged inside a cell this morning, the fourth hanging this year in a state prison and the third in the past two weeks.
"It's far too many," said state Public Safety Director Ted Sakai. "We're doing everything we can."
Convicted sex offender Michael Espindola was found hanged with a bedsheet at about 4 a.m. after he didn't show up for this morning's head count, Sakai said.
Espindola had been convicted of seven sexual assaults and was awaiting sentencing. He was admitted to the Oahu Community Correctional Center in September and transferred to Halawa on Nov. 2.
The incident comes four days after entertainer Bryant "Mackey" Feary Jr. hanged himself inside the same prison.
Sakai said there is "no apparent connection" between the two deaths.
He described Espindola as a "very quiet" inmate and not a problem.
"We have 3,600 prisoners in the state," he said. "They can't all be on suicide watch."
Besides Feary and Espindola, 25-year-old Farrington Governor Santos was found hanging at the Oahu Community Correctional Center on Feb. 11. He was awaiting trial for participating in an armed robbery of a Wahiawa convenience store.
Dale Wester, 34, was found hanged inside the Maui Community Correctional Center on Jan. 25.
A bedsheet was used in all of the hangings.
Feary, 43, one of the founders of the musical group Kalapana, hanged himself after losing a request to return to a drug residential program.
His probation was revoked in January after he tested positive for amphetamines. He was sentenced to 10 years on charges involving criminal property damage and drugs.
One concern officials have is a growing population of prisoners who are mentally ill or addicted to drugs.
Sakai said it is difficult to detect if an inmate is suicidal unless there are some indications, and there were none with the four men.
Halawa is allocated four psychiatric social workers, Sakai added. A 1989 study recommended six, but because of budget cuts there is only one, he said.
Today's hanging also represents the sixth inmate death since December. Foul play was ruled out in all of the previous deaths.
