Jail visits to resume Monday

All Hawaii state jails and prisons are resuming in-person visitation effective Monday.

Inmates have been informed of the change, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

All families will have to follow new COVID-19 guidelines for entry into the facility.

All regular visitation rules will apply. Each facility will resume their normal visitation schedule but will be adjusting to conduct the visits in compliance with federal social distancing requirements for contained correctional settings.

“We know inmates and their families have been looking forward to the restoration of visits, and we appreciate everyone’s patience as we reestablish the process,” said Tommy Johnson, deputy director for Corrections. “Because of the added social distancing requirement, the facilities will have to reduce the number of people in the visitation rooms. Wait times may be longer due to these new requirements and that means the number of visitors allowed in each day will decrease”.

The new COVID-19 safety measures include the following: Visitors will undergo a temperature check and will be required to fill out a health screening form upon entry; masks must be worn at all times; and visitation areas will be sanitized between each visit session.