28 inmates from Hilo transferred to Oahu amid COVID outbreak

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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - More than two dozen inmates from the Hawaii Community Correctional Center in Hilo have been transferred to Oahu to alleviate overcrowding amid a COVID outbreak, the state Department of Public Safety said.

Officials transferred 18 sentenced felons and seven pre-trial felons to Halawa Correctional Facility and three sentenced felons to the Women’s Community Correctional Center. DPS said the seven pre-trial felons are being temporarily held at HCF and will return to Hilo once the outbreak has been contained.

Six sentenced inmates were also transferred to Kulani Correctional Center in Hilo, according to officials.

The moves are meant to free up space at HCCC, which is still dealing with a COVID outbreak. Nearly 80 inmates and four staff are infected.

DPS said the inmates who were transferred were “medically cleared,” which means they were vaccinated or tested negative.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Health said the virus spread at a rate higher than 50% among inmates in Hilo. Two staff members were hospitalized.