Inside Hawaii's Juvenile Detention Home

Courtesy of Hawaii State Judiciary

Hawaii's juvenile detention home still has the glow of a building that's less than two years old. The hallways are clean, wide and filled with light. But when it comes to its inner workings, things are still very much a work in progress.

Three years after a scathing report detailed grave deficiencies at the old detention home on Alder Street, a second report released last week noted many positive developments at the new Kapolei facility. Yet the report also highlighted problems with chronic understaffing and sick leave abuse. There are still no written policies in place and training is inadequate.

State judiciary officials say they're working to address all of the issues raised in the assessment, which was commissioned as part of a national program focused on identifying alternatives to juvenile detention.

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