The Oʻahu Community Correctional Facility (OCCC) is the largest jail facility in Hawaiʻi, serving the entire island of Oʻahu as the local detention center for the First Circuit Court. As a jail, the facility houses pre-trial detainees, short-term (less than a year) sentenced inmates, and individuals serving time for parole and probation violations. In addition to its jail functions, OCCC provides reintegration programming for male sentenced felons through OCCC as well as the nearby Laumaka Work Furlough Center (LWFC).

The OCCC facility is now over 50 years old, and is out-of-date, inefficient, and overcrowded. The outdated site layout makes day-to-day operations at OCCC more difficult and correctional best practices impossible to implement. Laumaka also lacks the additional capacity to support the growing demand for re-entry facilities. The OCCC facility is also located along the new rail line, on a parcel slated for transit-oriented development.

The need for a new facility and a new location prompted the planning process that led to the proposed plans for a new jail on the animal quarantine site in Halawa. In response to calls for more stakeholder and community engagement and recommendations for a more restorative and Hawaiʻi-based approach, PSD contracted UHCDC to lead an engagement, programming, and proof of concept study.

Project goals and objectives:

• Engage diverse stakeholders to co-envision an alternative program and facility model for the proposed jail site in Halawa AND a pathway toward a community-based continuum of care.

• Research restorative justice models that incorporate Indigenous knowledge, culturally grounded methods, and trauma-informed programs.

• Consult with peer facilities for critical analysis, lessons learned, and best practices.

• Share knowledge to address common public misconceptions and misinformation.

• Facilitate interagency alignment to support comprehensive reentry and diversion strategies.

• Develop proof of concept designs that reflect stakeholder input.

• Draft a guideline document for a future Request for Proposals based on research, engagement, alignment, and proof of concept designs.

Client: State of Hawaiʻi Department of Public Safety
Principal Investigator: Cathi Ho Schar FAIA, Dan Milz PhD, and Lorinda Riley SJD
UHM Partners: Jonathan Osorio PhD, Camille Nelson LLM, and Tetine Sentell PhD
Project Staff: Creesha Layaoen, Dean Matsumura, Caroline Whitesel
Student Project Team: Kaylen Daquioag, Riza Lara, Daniel Luna, Michelle McDow, Dylan Pilger, Yada Ponpittayalert, Maleah Reynolds, Anuhea Sridharan, Anamalia Suʻesuʻe, Hannah Valencia, Thanh Nguyen, Haixin Ruan
Junior Fabricator: Keoni Schar