HONOLULU (KHON2) — The House Committee on Corrections, Military and Veterans met to discuss the impact releasing inmates early due to the coronavirus had on the community.
In April, a court order released 108 inmates. Of those, over half eventually were re-arrested for a least one new charge.
But officials say most of the charges were misdemeanors.
“Approximately 17 percent of people released had felony offensives within their new charges. Within that, we had about 40 percent of the people that were released had only misdemeanors or petty misdemeanors offenses as the new charge,” said Dr. Erin Harbinson, Criminal Justice Research Institute.
Doctor Harbinson said the largest violation category was for violating COVID-19 emergency orders.
