Variant cluster at jail winds down
Inmate advocates still concerned over care
The Maui Community Correctional Center has been clear of active COVID-19 cases for close to a week as a variant-fueled cluster winds down, but advocates for inmates say there are still issues over physical distancing and timely access to health care.
Since Feb. 1, 94 inmates and two staff members have tested positive for the virus, according to state Department of Public Safety data. One inmate was hospitalized and recovered. No deaths were reported.
“The hard-working, dedicated MCCC health care and facility staff worked tirelessly long hours, and followed the pandemic plan to medically isolate, quarantine and cohort inmates, and quickly bring the cluster at MCCC under control,” Public Safety spokeswoman Toni Schwartz said earlier this week.
All of the cases at the jail were of the B.1.429 variant that’s been widespread in California and is more transmissible than the original COVID strain, according to Maui District Health Officer Dr. Lorrin Pang, who has previously said that the variant is fueling other clusters on the Valley Isle.
A state Department of Health cluster report on Thursday puts the MCCC outbreak at 100 cases. An inquiry to DOH officials about the discrepancy was not immediately answered Friday. The Public Safety Department said it could not speak to the cluster report but that its information comes from the department’s Health Care Division.
With the cluster under control and cases no longer active, Schwartz said staff and inmates will be routinely tested and the jail will continue to follow its “pandemic plan” based on state Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for correctional facilities.
This includes keeping inmates separated to the greatest extent possible by medically isolating them, quarantining and cohorting, depending on health status. Vaccines are also offered.
However, Schwartz added that MCCC’s population is transient, and “as long as inmates continue to come in from the community, there will always be concern for new virus introduction.”
“PSD is doing everything in its power to mitigate community spread into the facilities,” she said.
Inmates who contracted the virus have called for improvements at the jail during recent court hearings.
Marcus Ruggiero, who appeared by videoconference from the jail on March 16, said that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Feb. 18 and suffered from chills, headaches and body fatigue.
“You feel like you want do die. My other bunky was touch and go,” he said of his bunkmate, who also had the virus. “There’s no method to the madness over here. I’ve seen no doctors. It’s really spooky. It’s actually a nightmare down here. There’s no medical anything. Everyone’s running around sick. Everyone’s on quarantine.”
Ruggiero said inmates who tested positive were put into one room, four in each cell. He has asthma and high blood pressure and had been sleeping on the floor because of overcrowding.
“I was just praying I would survive, that’s how bad it was,” he said.
Another inmate, Henry Kanawaliwali, said during a court appearance on March 19 that “I got the COVID already and that was not good. It’s serious in here.”
Families and supporters of inmates held a small protest outside the jail on March 5 urging the state to take more action. At the time, the outbreak had reached 75 inmates and one staff member.
They had concerns over the level of compliance with mask mandates at the jail, alleged improper isolation and quarantine of inmates suspected of having the virus, a lack of proper care for sick inmates and overcrowding in jail cells.
Julie Ohashi, who has “loved ones” at the jail and is one of the organizers of HALE Hawaii, an organization calling for more proactive measures against the virus across the state, said the demands to make the jail safer were not addressed adequately.
The group and the ACLU had a virtual meeting with Public Safety Director Max Otani.
Ohashi, who said she talks with inmates and their families, said they were not satisfied with the department and that Otani, who is on Oahu, is not in touch with what is going on at MCCC. She added that nothing has changed even after sharing their concerns with the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission, which was created by the Legislature to improve the state’s jails and prisons.
On Thursday, Ohashi said there was still a need to ensure inmates have adequate toilet paper — inmates get only one roll a week — as well as enough soap, hot water and KN95 masks. She added that inmates may report having symptoms of COVID-19, but because of short-staffing, it may take two to three days before the inmate sees a health care provider. Ohashi and other supporters have asked for an adult corrections officer to be specially appointed to escort inmates to see a medical provider.
Inmates have told Ohashi that they don’t feel there is any malicious intent, but the jail workers need help.
“They are doing the best they can,” she said. “(But) there is not enough support.”
Otani told the group in written responses to their questions in March that due to union agreements, correctional officer assignments are made every 12 weeks, and the Department of Public Safety does not have control over who is assigned to the medical post. Otani added that the jail does give two cloth masks to each inmate upon entry and that inmates are required to wear them. Inmates are also provided with personal hygiene items that are resupplied on an asneeded basis, as well as unrestricted access to anti-bacterial soap, water and cleaning supplies.
Because of staffing shortages, the department is unable to safely reopen closed dorms to ease overcrowding or create outdoor structures to house inmates, Otani said. It also does not have the authority to reduce the jail population through community releases without court orders. However, he said the department is actively recruiting to fill vacancies, including sending at least eight emergency hire correctional officers from MCCC to attend the current session of the “Basic Corrections Recruit Class.” Once they’ve graduated, the department “can possibly review housing inmate challenges,” Otani said.
Overall, the department feels that vaccination is a critical part of its efforts to mitigate spread of any virus in a contained population, Schwartz said.
She said that 188 inmates have opted to receive their first dose, and that 132 inmates have received their second dose.
Because the jail population is transient, inmates could be released before their second dose can be administered by the facility, Schwartz added.
As of this week, there were 293 inmates at the Wailuku jail, which has an operational capacity of 301 and a design capacity of 209.