Youth prison found in partial compliance

A court-appointed monitor finds 41 of 53 defects improved

An initial review of policies and procedures at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility indicates the state's youth prison is in "partial compliance" with 41 of the 53 areas cited as needing improvement by the U.S. Justice Department.

The 87-page report was issued last month by Russell Van Vleet, the monitor appointed by the federal court to oversee the state's compliance on reforms at the Kailua facility.

Earlier this year, the state entered into a three-year agreement with the Justice Department to improve conditions at the facility after an investigation concluded inadequate policies and procedures, staffing shortages and deficient training for guards had led to a "state of chaos."

"The state is committed to fully complying with the agreement and to helping the youth confined at HYCF," Attorney General Mark Bennett said yesterday in a news release.

The federal review came after an investigation by the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii had voiced similar concerns. The ACLU sued over conditions at the facilities but settled the litigation after the agreement with the Justice Department was reached.

Lois Perrin, the attorney for the ACLU in Hawaii, said reforms are being watched closely.

"The widespread problems at HYCF are obviously going to require an enormous undertaking to create the culture shift needed to bring the facility into compliance with professional and legal standards," Perrin said. "We hope that undertaking will be completed as quickly as possible."