Body and Digital Cameras Could Be Required at State Correctional Facilities
By Cynthia Yip
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HONOLULU (KITV) — Sexual assault at the women’s community correctional center is unfortunately not a new problem. The Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission reports more than 50 inmates were sexually assaulted by guards between 2013 to 2016.
A bill moving through the State Legislature would authorize funding for body and digital cameras in all correctional facilities.
HB1235 would require correction officers to wear body cameras. Funds for purchasing digital cameras for control rooms at state correctional facilities and body cameras for adult correctional officers to wear while on duty at state correctional facilities must be approved.
Christin Johnson of the Hawaii Correctional System Oversight Commission says, “Because of that lack of coverage there is an immense sexual abuse and sexual assault between correctional staff and women in custody.”
According to a federal court filing, there have been 53 rapes at WCCC with those sex assaults happening in the control stations between between 2013 to 2016.
Tommy Johnson, Director Department of Public Safety says, “No inmate should be subject to any type of abuse whether its verbal abuse sexual abuse. Any type of harassment at all at any correctional facility or jail. And those who perpetrated those crimes were held accountable. Several went to prison, as they should. We have a zero tolerance for those behaviors.”
Lawmakers are looking to have the state purchase body cams for ACO’s to wear, and to add more cameras in the correctional center itself.
This is the response from the State Director of the United Public Workers, Kalani Werner who says, ” We remain concerned about the potential negative consequences of such technology. I have spoken out against the use of cameras in inmate housing units and control rooms, as their use frequently results in staff discipline rather than its intended purpose of logging inmate incidents.”
Christin Johnson, HI Correctional System Oversight Commission says, “I think this is a moment that more people are reminded that people in custody are people no body deserves to be sexually assaulted no body regardless of what they may have done to get them in those spaces, nobody deserves to be sexually assaulted.
The bill passed in committee Wednesday and heads to the full House for its consideration.
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