Federal prison's first inmate delayed
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By Adrienne Ancheta
Advertiser Staff Writer
After months of preparing for the day their first guest was scheduled to arrive, 159 staffers at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu have been stood up.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
The first and only inmate at the $63 million prison, at Aokea Place and Elliot Street near the airport, was scheduled to arrive tomorrow. But courts postponed the inmate's arrival until Aug. 15.
The Honolulu detention center will house federal defendants awaiting trial and 125 inmates from Hawai'i who have almost completed terms in Mainland federal prisons.
Though it has been in operation since July 1, the 670 cells will remain empty through the first week of August, said Deborah Westley, executive assistant to warden Joe W. Booker. The first inmate may arrive as early as Aug. 8.
The facility will house federal defendants awaiting trial in U.S. District Court in Hawai'i, those detained by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, as well as 125 sentenced inmates from Hawai'i who have almost completed their prison terms in federal facilities on the Mainland. Hawai'i prison officials also plan to lease cell space from the federal government for 100 state inmates who are awaiting trial in state court.
To prepare for the prison's opening, 178 people have been hired for 252 staff positions so far, 73 of whom are from Hawai'i. While 159 workers are based here, the other 19 are based on the Mainland. The center is still hiring.
The facility will have a private blessing Aug. 16, when at least one cell is expected to be occupied.
