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Prison reform advocates worry key bills wonât survive legislative session
Prison reform advocates worry key bills are stalled in the state legislature By Rick Daysog | February 21, 2021 at 6:07 PM HST - Updated February 21 at 10:41 PM
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Prison reform measures, which gained momentum during the COVID pandemic, are now faltering in the state Legislature, advocates said.
They said several bills including measures to modernize the criminal justice system and the bail system and one that places a one-year moratorium on the construction of a new Oahu Community Correctional Center at Halawa have stalled or have been watered down this session.
State Has Spent Nearly $10 Million So Far Planning A New Jail At Halawa - Honolulu Civil Beat
Corrections chief says planning to replace Oahu Community Correctional Center will continue. Reading time: 4 minutes.
The state has already spent nearly $10 million on planning, permitting, environmental reports and other tasks related to development of a new jail in Halawa, according to a consultant working on the project.
Bettina Mehnert, president and CEO of the firm AHL, formerly known as Architects Hawaii, disclosed that substantial sum during a briefing for the Hawaii Correctional Systems Oversight Commission on Thursday. But the planning money is just a small down payment on the larger project.