Maui warden
arrested in
inmate sex assaultAlbert Murashige was arrested
in his office at the prison
The warden of Maui Community Correctional Center for more than a decade was arrested Wednesday for allegedly kidnapping and sexually assaulting a female inmate.
Albert Murashige, 46, was arrested at 8:30 p.m. at his office at the prison by state attorney general investigators.
Officials said they began looking into the case this week after receiving a complaint on Tuesday from an unidentified source.
Chief of Security Maj. Alan Nouchi has been named acting warden for the facility.
Murashige has been warden for the last 12 years. For four years before that, he was employed at the facility as a social worker.
During his tenure as warden, Murashige has helped to develop a number of programs to ease the transition of prisoners back into society, including a work program that allowed inmates to have a job during the day and return at night to the prison.
He also has worked with the Maui Drug Court in providing space at the facility for inmates who wanted to rehabilitate themselves and deal with their drug addictions.
But the Maui prison also has had problems during his tenure, including the arrest of a number of Maui prison guards who had been charged with promoting drugs such as crystal methamphetamine. Some were convicted.
News of Murashige's arrest rocked members of the Maui community, including the former Maui prosecutor who now works for the agency that arrested him.
"I'd rather not say anything right now," said First Deputy Attorney General Richard Bissen Jr., also former Maui prosecuting attorney. "This is a unique situation I'm in."
Donald Wong, chief investigator for the Attorney General's office, said the alleged kidnapping and sexual assault upon a female inmate took place between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday at Maui Community Correctional Center.
Wong said the state has an eyewitness but declined to elaborate on the identity of the person.
The female inmate whom Murashige allegedly assaulted has not been identified. According to Maui Community Correctional Center officials, she is in her mid- to late 30s and serving time on drug convictions.
"It was a surprise to us when we first heard about it (the allegation)," said acting state Public Safety Director James Propotnick about Murashige's arrest, "but we are cooperating 100 percent with the AG on this."
Propotnick said the department may move the female inmate involved in the case if it appears she may be in danger by staying on Maui. However, as of yesterday evening, Nouchi said they had no plans to move her from the facility, nor had any changes been made in security since the arrest.
Murashige was being held at the Maui Police Department cellblock yesterday afternoon. He lives in Makawao with his wife and two children.
The attorney general's office has scheduled a news conference at noon today to provide more details about the case.
Star-Bulletin reporter Gary T. Kubota contributed to this report.