Christina Spicer  |  June 11, 2021

Category: Legal News

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Inmates in Hawaii say that they were kept in unsanitary jails during the pandemic, leading to “uncontrolled” COVID outbreaks, in a class action lawsuit filed against the correctional agencies.  

In a state known for strict protocols since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, the lead plaintiffs say that correctional facilities failed to implement protective measures, leading to outbreaks in five out of nine facilities located in Hawaii. The class action lawsuit says that at least nine inmates have died after contracting COVID-19, according to the Associated Press 

Reportedly, 2,400 Hawaii inmates and staff have contracted COVID since the beginning of the pandemic.  

Conditions at Hawaii’s jails and correctional facilities were always poor, claim the plaintiffs, and those conditions remained poor during the coronavirus outbreak. The class action lawsuit alleges that inmates who are sick or who have tested positive for COVID-19 are routinely housed with other inmates.  

“They have been housing them in dog cages and in other rooms with no running water or toilet for years now,” an attorney representing the plaintiffs told Hawaiin News Now. “And none of that changed after the outbreaks.” 

The lawsuit reportedly details additional unsanitary conditions in which the inmates are forced to live. Allegedly, inmates are required to stand close together in line during mealtimes and sleep on mats that are just inches apart. In addition, the plaintiffs say that sick inmates are housed in an area within “six feet from a bathroom which is routinely flooded with human urine and feces.” 

“They all have to use the same toilet, which is placed in other units with inmates who do not have COVID so they’re definitely not following guidelines and practicing safe distancing,” the sister of an inmate at Hawaii Community Correctional Center told Hawaiin News Now reporters.  

The class action lawsuit also points out that inmates come and go from correctional facilities to attend court hearings, making the spread of the disease to the community a real threat. In addition, they say efforts to vaccinate inmates and staff at correctional facilities have not gone far enough. 

The Department of Corrections does not comment on pending litigation and has yet to file a response to the class action lawsuit, reports the Associated Press.   

A lawyer representing the inmates told reporters that the goal of the class action lawsuit is to have someone appointed who will ensure Hawaii’s jails are complying with public health guidelines.  

What do you think of the claims that unsanitary conditions in Hawaii jails led to COVID19 outbreaks among inmates? Tell us in the comment section below.  

The lead plaintiffs are represented by Eric Seitz and Gina Szeto-Wong of the Law Office of Eric Seitz. 


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