Corrections officer, union: State’s missteps contributed to huge outbreak at OCCC
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Public safety officials say at least 300 inmates and workers at the state’s largest jail have now been infected with COVID-19, in an outbreak that’s prompted growing questions — including among staff — about how the state is handling the crisis.
Lana Hughes is one of nearly 50 corrections officers at Oahu Community Correction Center who have tested positive for COVID-19. She’s currently in quarantine.
Over the weekend, she joined a livestream with former Kauai councilman Mel Rapozo and ran down a troubling list of her concerns about how the pandemic has been handled at Hawaii jails and prisons.
One particularly concerning point: She said an inmate with the virus was released earlier this month.
“On the 13th when I was working, an inmate tested positive, he was on the list, and he got released,” said Hughes, who has worked at OCCC for 21 years.
“So now, he’s out in the public, out in the community right now.”
Hughes is not sure whether he went into some kind of quarantine.
In a statement released to Hawaii News Now on Monday afternoon, the state Department of Public Safety said on that date it didn’t have the ability to hold inmates beyond their time or if they bailed out.
In other shocking claims, Hughes said that:
- Ill and healthy inmates were housed together;
- Personal protective equipment for staff is still inadequate;
- And adult corrections officers who test positive or are awaiting test results have to use their personal leave or in some instances, still go to work.
“At this point, they are getting burnt out,” Hughes said. “They don’t want to go to work because it’s such a high risk of catching COVID and they are afraid to take it home to their own family.”
DPS denies Hughes’ assertions, saying employees with COVID-19 aren’t asked to come to work, staff have been provided with PPE, and sick inmates are separated.
But United Public Workers, the union that represents Hawaii’s corrections staff, says it is flooded with complaints similar to Hughes’ and blames the state for a lack of communication and direction.
“Just last week, we had a corrections officer who was served with his termination letter at close of business that day because he had run out of leave,” UPW Administrator Liz Ho said. “He’s afraid to go to work because of coronavirus and yet, they are being penalized.”
DPS says it is following a comprehensive plan to safeguard the health of all inmates and staff and it is also working with UPW to resolve any concerns presented by employees.
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