Saturday, May 29, 2010

Da Maui Klink

Did you know there is a prison on Maui?

The Maui County Community Correctional Center is just such a place.  Located in Wailuku near Maui Police Department Headquarters, The Maui News, and Maui Memorial Hospital, this is Maui's "prison."

The interesting thing about the penal system not only on Maui, but for Hawaii in general is the fact that the Aloha state sends nearly half of its inmates - over 1,800 in 2005 - to privately-run Mainland facilities because of the reduced cost.  It costs $105 per day to keep a prisoner in a Hawaii state-run prison versus $58 for the private Mainland version.  

Why is Hawaii sending its "problems" away to the Mainland?  Not only are we sending our prisoners away from home, but Hawaii also ships 100,000 tons of trash a year to Washington State from Honolulu!  Who knows what our inmates are picking up and learning in Mainland prisons, which they will undoubtedly bring back and incorporate into the culture of the Islands.  

In 2008, Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii approved $9 million to design a new Maui prison in Pu'unene to hold 843 inmates.  Hopes are that the new prison will be completed by 2012 to the tune of $219 million.














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