Aloha, honorable senators:

I write in full support of SR 15 requesting Hawaiis Congressional Delegation to assist the State
in negotiating with the Government for the acquisition of the Federal Detention Center,
Honolulu, Hawaii. I urge you to pass this resolution that would be in the right step to bringing
home Hawaii State inmates incarcerated in private mainland prisons.
There are many advantages in the acquisition of the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu.
1.

The State of Hawaii would be able to utilize the total capacity of 1,200 beds, which
currently is far below housing male and female federal pre-trial detainees, federal inmates
who are close to completing their prison sentences, and Hawaii inmates awaiting trial
dates for court appearances.

2. The Federal Detention Center has an efficient vertical design that requires fewer workers
to guard inmates that includes an integrated state-of-the-art surveillance technology.
3. This would be an interim solution that would cost the tax payers a lot less than to build a
new prison costing in the range of 1.5 to 2 billion dollars. The State has struggled to find
additional beds for inmates and the acquisition would greatly help alleviate the overcrowding of our current prison capacities.
4. The State is currently paying a daily rate of $114 per male and female inmates to the
federal government to house them at the Federal Detention Center in Honolulu. These
fees may as well go to the acquisition.
5. The State would be able to retain existing federal staff to maintain the detention center
and thereby save on training and the hiring of new corrections personnel.

These are just some of the advantages to acquiring the Federal Detention Center from the federal
government. I wanted to point out an advantage that would address a concern that I think is very
important to the acquisition. My concern is for the emotional stability of men and women and
their families that are incarcerated in private mainland prisons. Prison is not supposed to be easy
but housing inmates in private mainland prisons only serves to destabilize their families even
more. Many have never even been to the mainland and approximately forty per-cent of inmates
are of Native Hawaiian descent. Its difficult enough to be incarcerated much less to be
imprisoned far away from their families housed in a private mainland prison. Many families
arent able to afford the expensive travel accommodations to visit their loved ones denying them
access to family members, which only furthers the destabilization of their families.
For the reasons stated and for the familys well-being, I urge you to pass SR 15. It would benefit
everyone concerned.
Sincerely,
Joseph Wayne Ricks
45-728 Ko St., Kaneohe, Hi. 96744