Hawaii Inmate Records

Hawaii ranks as one of the states with the lowest imprisonment rates in the United States. With about 174 persons in prison or jail per 100,000 residents, the state's incarceration rate is significantly lower than the national average of 355 people per 100,000 United States residents. Hawaii runs an integrated correctional system that combines jails and prisons. In other words, the prisons and jails operate as one, and the state's inmate population includes individuals serving time in both prisons and jails.

The state's prison system has an average of 4,149 inmates in custody. Males account for about 89.4% of the prison population, while the rest 10.5% are female inmates. The correctional facility to which a convicted offender is sentenced to serve a jail or prison term in Hawaii depends on their offense, and each of these facilities is managed by a government agency. The agency in charge of each prison or jail in Hawaii is responsible for maintaining proper records of all the inmates in their custody.

A typical inmate record kept by a prison or jail authority in Hawaii has the following information:

• Personal Details - These include an inmate's full name, aliases, gender, race, hair color, date of birth, height, weight, and eye color.
• Court Record - This primarily includes case number, trial information, court orders, fines, and judgment.
• Arrest Information - Arrest details in an inmate's record include the time, place, and date of the arrest, the arrest warrant, charges, booking information, and information regarding the arresting law enforcement agency.
• Custody Details - These include an inmate's ID number, custody status, book date, and the name of the holding correctional facility.
• Release and Parole Information - This includes information regarding an inmate's eligibility for parole, the parole status, and the scheduled release date.

Are Inmate Records Public in Hawaii?

Inmate records are considered public in the state under the Hawaii Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA). According to this Act, unless access is restricted or closed by law, all government records, including records of inmates in the state, are open to public inspection. The Act also mandates agencies to ensure reasonable access to enable members of the public to duplicate public records.

Although most inmate records are public in Hawaii, any such records, which, if disclosed, would constitute a clearly unwarranted personal privacy invasion, is exempt from public disclosure. Also, sealed or expunged inmate records are protected by state or federal law and, as such, are restricted from public access.

What Agencies Are Responsible for Inmate Records in Hawaii?

Some of the agencies charged with the responsibility of managing the correctional facilities in Hawaii and authorized to keep inmate records are listed below:

• The State of Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) - The Correctional Institutions Division of the State of Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) oversees 4 jails and 4 state-operated prisons. Records of inmates held in these facilities are maintained by the DCR. Hawaii jails primarily serve the secure incarceration of the short-term sentence misdemeanant population and individuals awaiting trial. They also house transitional sentence felony offenders and inmates who have almost completed their felony sentences and are looking to return to society. On the other hand, state prisons managed by the DCR hold convicted felons whose sentences exceed one year.
• Police Departments - All records of arrests made by each police department within their jurisdiction are maintained by the department. In Hawaii, where an arrest leads to a person's incarceration, the record of that arrest typically forms a part of the individual's record as an inmate. However, police departments do not keep convicted offenders in custody.
• Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) - Hawaii has one federal prison within the state's boundaries. This correctional facility is managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and generally holds individuals convicted of federal crimes and sentenced to serve prison terms. The BOP maintains records of all inmates incarcerated in federal prisons, including the only one in Hawaii.

How To Search an Inmate's Information in Hawaii?

Once the correctional facility holding an inmate in Hawaii is identified, half of the work required to find the records of that inmate is done. Hence, it is essential to first determine the correctional facility where an inmate is incarcerated when considering looking up information regarding such an inmate.

Find an inmate in the Hawaii State Prisons

Hawaii operates a unified, integrated prison system. In other words, it runs a state-level correctional system and, as a result, there are no county jails. The Hawaii SAVIN (Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification System) gives members of the public timely information on the custody status of inmates housed in the state's jails and prisons. To find an inmate's information using the Hawaii SAVIN, an interested person must select either the inmate's name or ID number as the search criterion before searching. For best search results, use an inmate's full first or last name or ID number. However, where the exact name or full ID number is not known, select the "Partial Name" or "Partial ID Number" box before clicking the "Search" button.

The search results returned after conducting an inmate search in Hawaii SAVIN often contain limited information, like the inmate's personal information and scant custody details. Interested persons may visit the prison or jail where an inmate is incarcerated in the state to request their detailed records. Generally, such persons will need the inmate's name, sex, date of birth, ID number, or any other important information to help the custodian locate the required file quickly. However, this service may come at a fee.

Find an Inmate in Local Jail

Hawaii does not run local jails. Information regarding inmates housed in state jails may be accessed through the Hawaii SAVIN or by visiting the jail facilities where such inmates are held physically.

Find an Inmate in Federal Prison

Information regarding federal inmates incarcerated in Honolulu FDC, Hawaii's only federal prison, may be accessed by conducting an inmate search on the BOP Inmate Locator. Anyone may look up an inmate's information through the Inmate Locator using the inmate's name or BOP register number as the search parameter. Generally, the BOP Inmate Locator has information regarding federal inmates housed in federal prisons from 1982 to the present.

Alternatively, anyone looking to find information about an inmate in Honolulu FDC may visit the correctional facility in person at:

How Can I Access Old Inmate Records?

Records of inmates who were incarcerated in Hawaii but have already been released are generally not available on the online databases offered by the different prison authorities in the state. Such records may be found in the state Archives. The Hawaii State Archives generally holds historical criminal justice information, which includes a bit of inmate records. While some of these records are digitized and may be accessed online, others are available in paper formats and may either be obtained in person or by mail. Interested persons may contact the state's Archives at (808) 586-0329 to inquire about the availability of their records of interest.

Furthermore, the National Archives has a collection of records on former inmates who were incarcerated in the federal prison in Hawaii. Also, third-party sites like Hawaiipublicrecords.us are go-to sources for information regarding former inmates who have been discharged from the state's prison system. However, anyone using third-party services to access inmate information is usually required to pay a small fee.

Another way to access old inmate records in Hawaii is to visit the correctional facility where an inmate served their prison/jail sentence in the state and request such records. Typically, requesters will be asked to provide pieces of information regarding the inmate whose record they seek to help facilitate the search.

Alternatively, an interested party may submit a public record request to the appropriate prison or jail authority whose correctional facility housed a former inmate to obtain the inmate's records. For an inmate incarcerated in a federal prison, submit a FOIA request to the BOP (Federal Bureau of Prisons) to access their records. If the inmate was housed in a state prison or jail, complete the Request to Access Government A Government Record Form and mail it to the DCR at:

Can I Find a Hawaii Inmate Record for Free?

Yes. Hawaii inmate records are available for free through online databases maintained by different government agencies that keep records of inmates and manage correctional facilities in the state. Each agency maintains records of inmates under its jurisdiction. As a result, one would not find records of inmates overseen by the BOP by looking up the Hawaii SAVIN, and vice versa.

Records of all inmates incarcerated in Hawaii may be obtained through reliable third-party sites, regardless of the facility of incarceration or the prison/jail authority overseeing the inmates. One such site, Hawaiipublicrecords.us, is considered a one-stop database for inmate records in the state. These third-party sites provide public record services and allow central access to information regarding inmates within the state's prison system, although at a nominal fee.

Jails and Prisons in Hawaii

Hawaii runs an integrated correctional system that is entirely managed at the state level. The correctional facilities in the state are classified based on how they are managed, and they include the following:

• State Prisons - Hawaii prisons are managed by the state's Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR). The state has 4 prisons, three of which are located on the Island of Oahu, while the fourth is located on the Big Island of Hawaii.
• State Jails - Hawaii has 4 jails, also overseen by the DCR. They are locally situated on each major island in the state.
• Private Prisons - The only private prison in Hawaii is managed by CoreCivic.
• Federal Prisons - The only federal prison in Hawaii, overseen by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

State Prisons in Hawaii

The table below shows the list of Hawaii's prisons and jails:

Private Prisons in Hawaii

The only private prison in Hawaii, Saguaro Correctional Center, holds inmates on the mainland.

Hawaii Inmate Statistics

• Hawaii Incarceration Rate - 174 per 100,000 residents
• Male Incarceration Rate - 317 per 100,000 males
• Female Incarceration Rate - 30 per 100,000 females
• Youth Custody Rate - 20 per 100,000 youths
• Number of Prisoners in Private Prisons - 966
• Black/White Imprisonment Disparity - 2.4:1
• Latino/White Imprisonment Disparity - 0.4:1
• Number of offenders under community supervision - 1,427 per 100,000 people
• Number on probation - 1,600 per 100,000 people
• Number on parole - 108 per 100,000 people
• Felony Disenfranchisement Rate - 0.2%

* Source: United States Bureau of Justice Statistics