Over 200 Inmates Statewide Receive COVID Booster as Part of Incentive Program

Two hundred fifty-five inmates have received a COVID-19 booster shot following the state’s announcement of a $25 incentive to fully vaccinated incarcerated individuals.

This $25 booster bonus is in addition to the one-time $50 incentive offered to all inmates in the Department of Public Safety’s, PSD, custody who completed their full vaccination.

The vaccine incentive program applies to all inmates in PSD custody on or after March 3, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2024, who are still in custody. The payments are deposited into the inmate’s spendable trust account. A portion of the money is withdrawn for victim restitution.

PSD requested and received approval for $615,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds to be specifically used as an incentive initiative for offenders in custody. So far $153,550 has been expended.

COVID-19 testing is continuously being conducted in the state prisons and jails as well as in the contracted Saguaro Correctional Center in Eloy, AZ. Here are the latest testing updates received for the correctional facilities as of Thursday, Jan. 13:

• Oʻahu Community Correctional Center – 226 inmate test results; 45 positive, 181 negative. One positive staff test result.
• Halawa Correctional Facility – 154 inmate test results; 38 positive, 116 negative. Four (4) positive staff test results.
• Kulani Correctional Facility – 98 inmate test results; One (1) positive, 97 negative.
• Waiawa Correctional Facility – One (1) positive inmate test result. One (1) positive staff test result.
• Maui Community Correctional Center – 35 negative inmate test results. One (1) inmate has recovered.
• Women’s Community Correctional Center – Two negative inmate test results.
• Hawaiʻi Community Correctional Center – Seven negative inmate test results.
• Kauai Community Correctional Center – One negative inmate test result. One (1) employee has recovered.

COVID-19 updates for other PSD Divisions are as follows:

• Administrative Division – One positive admin employee test result.
• Sheriff Division – Five Sheriff Division employees have recovered and returned to work.

The Department of Public Safety (PSD) continues to encourage all staff and inmates to voluntarily get tested and receive the COVID-19 vaccination. For more detailed inmate testing data, PSD’s Pandemic Plan and information on response efforts made to safeguard the inmates, staff and public, click here.