QUICK FACTS BAR
State DOC: Hawaii Department of Public Safety (DPS)
Parole Board: Hawaii Paroling Authority
Medicaid expansion: YES (full expansion - pre-ACA, Hawaii had universal coverage since 1974 "Prepaid Health Care Act"; full ACA expansion from 2014)
Voting rights: Restored upon release from prison - people on parole and probation CAN vote in Hawaii
SNAP drug felony ban: Full opt-out - no ban regardless of conviction
Expungement: Available - Hawaii's expungement framework covers arrests without conviction and some first-offense drug convictions under judicial discharge; limited for felony convictions generally
Ban the box: Public AND private employers - Hawaii's statewide law is one of the first and strongest in the country
INTRO
Hawaii has had near-universal healthcare coverage longer than any other state - the Prepaid Health Care Act of 1974 established employer-based coverage, and the state expanded further under the ACA. Hawaii's voting rights for returning citizens are among the more progressive: people on parole and probation can vote the day they leave a correctional facility. Hawaii was among the first states in the country to enact ban-the-box legislation, and the statewide law covers private employers. The expungement framework is limited for most felony convictions but provides meaningful relief for first-offense drug cases handled through judicial discharge. Hawaii's reentry landscape has a distinctive geographic structure: the vast majority of Hawaii's correctional population is on Oahu (Honolulu County), which is where almost all reentry services are concentrated. The neighbor islands - Maui, the Big Island (Hawaii County), Kauai, and Molokai - have very limited reentry infrastructure. A significant additional complication is that some Hawaii inmates are housed in mainland facilities (including in Arizona and Oklahoma) due to prison overcrowding - reentry planning for people releasing from out-of-state facilities requires specific coordination with Hawaii DPS.
FIRST 30 DAYS CHECKLIST
Day 1-3:
Report to your Hawaii Paroling Authority officer or DPS probation officer as directed. Hawaii's Corrections Division and Paroling Authority administer supervision. Report on the scheduled date.
Day 1-3:
Register to vote. Hawaii restores voting rights upon release from prison - you can vote the day you leave a Hawaii correctional facility. Register at olvr.hawaii.gov. Hawaii conducts elections entirely by mail - you will receive a ballot at your registered address.
Day 1-7:
Obtain your Hawaii state ID or driver's license. Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT): hidot.hawaii.gov. DPS provides a state ID to qualifying individuals at release. Bring: birth certificate or DPS ID, Social Security card, and proof of Hawaii residency.
Day 1-14:
Apply for Med-QUEST (Hawaii Medicaid). Most low-income adults qualify - Hawaii has had broad healthcare coverage since 1974. Apply at medquest.hawaii.gov or call 1-800-316-8005.
Day 1-14:
Apply for SNAP (Hawaii SNAP Food Stamps). Hawaii has fully opted out of the federal drug felony ban. Apply at humanservices.hawaii.gov or your local Department of Human Services (DHS) office.
ID RESTORATION
Birth certificate:
Hawaii Department of Health Office of Health Status Monitoring Vital Records - health.hawaii.gov/vital-records. Cost: $10 per copy. DPS assists with pre-release birth certificate requests.
Social Security card:
SSA.gov/ssnumber. Free.
State ID / Driver's License:
Hawaii DOT - hidot.hawaii.gov. Cost: $40 for state ID. DPS provides state IDs at release.
ID Assistance Programs:
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii (legalaidhawaii.org) statewide. Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii (vlsh.org) in Honolulu.
VOTING RIGHTS
Hawaii restores voting rights upon release from prison. People on parole and probation can vote.
Hawaii conducts elections entirely by mail - every registered voter receives a ballot. Register at olvr.hawaii.gov. Same-day registration is available at voter service centers during the voting period.
BENEFITS ACCESS
MED-QUEST (HAWAII MEDICAID):
Hawaii has had broad healthcare coverage since 1974. The ACA expansion in 2014 extended coverage to additional low-income adults. Apply at medquest.hawaii.gov or call 1-800-316-8005.
SNAP: Full opt-out. Apply at humanservices.hawaii.gov.
TANF: Full opt-out of the TANF drug felony ban.
Housing:
Federal RRCs under BOP RRM Seattle (covers HI, AK, WA, OR, ID - Hawaii falls under RRM Seattle geographically). State-supervised reentry housing through DPS contracts and nonprofits. Oahu (Honolulu) has almost all available reentry housing resources. Neighbor island reentry housing is extremely limited.
Out-of-state incarceration note: Hawaii has historically housed some inmates in mainland facilities due to prison overcrowding. People releasing from out-of-state (Arizona, Oklahoma) facilities to Hawaii need to coordinate reentry planning with Hawaii DPS well in advance - the logistics of travel and resource connections are more complex.
EXPUNGEMENT AND RECORD RELIEF
Hawaii expungement (HRS § 831-3.2):
Hawaii's expungement framework is more limited for felony convictions than for misdemeanors and drug cases.
What is eligible:
- Arrests without conviction: eligible after 1 year from arrest if no charge, or after dismissal or acquittal
- First-offense drug possession - judicial discharge (HRS § 706-622.5): if your first-offense drug possession charge was handled through judicial discharge and successfully completed, the conviction is expunged - this is the primary felony-level expungement pathway in Hawaii
- Misdemeanor convictions (not felony): eligible after 5 years from conviction with no new convictions in some categories
- Felony convictions (general): not eligible for expungement except through the judicial discharge pathway above
What CANNOT be expunged: Most felony convictions, sex offenses, crimes of violence, and other serious offenses outside the judicial discharge pathway.
Legal resources:
- Legal Aid Society of Hawaii: legalaidhawaii.org / (808) 536-4302 - statewide
- Hawaii Courts self-help: courts.hawaii.gov/self-help
EMPLOYMENT AND LICENSING
Ban the box - Hawaii statewide (one of the first in the country):
Hawaii enacted one of the first statewide ban-the-box laws in the country (HRS § 378-2.5), prohibiting employers from asking about criminal history on initial job applications. Employers may inquire during the interview or after a conditional offer of employment. The law covers most employers statewide.
Occupational licensing: Hawaii has enacted some licensing reform. Some boards now conduct individualized assessments. The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) oversees many state licenses.
Employment assistance:
- Hawaii Workforce Development Council: labor.hawaii.gov - statewide workforce development with American Job Centers on Oahu and some neighbor islands
KEY HAWAII REENTRY ORGANIZATIONS
Institute for Human Services (IHS)
ihs-hawaii.org / (808) 447-2800 / Honolulu
Comprehensive homeless services and reentry support in Honolulu. Significant reentry population served. Provides transitional housing, case management, and connection to benefits.
Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
legalaidhawaii.org / (808) 536-4302 / Honolulu (statewide reach)
Free civil legal services statewide including expungement, housing, and reentry legal needs.
Catholic Charities Hawaii
catholiccharitieshawaii.org / (808) 527-4500 / Honolulu
Social services and reentry support in Honolulu and some neighbor island locations.
Hawaii Prisoner Justice Project
Name and contact: verify current contact and services - advocacy and legal work related to Hawaii's incarcerated population
Hawaii DPS Corrections Division Reentry Services
dps.hawaii.gov/corrections
Official DPS reentry coordination.
STATE DOC REENTRY PROGRAMS
DPS Reentry:
Hawaii DPS operates pre-release programming at its Oahu facilities. The out-of-state placement situation (some inmates in Arizona and Oklahoma facilities) creates challenges for pre-release programming continuity.
Furlough and Work Release:
Hawaii operates furlough and work release programs for eligible inmates in the final phase of their sentence - one of the more developed work release systems in the Pacific.
HALFWAY HOUSES LINK BLOCK
Find halfway houses and reentry housing in Hawaii ->
inmateaid.com/halfway-houses/hawaii/
Federal RRCs under BOP RRM Seattle (HI, AK, WA, OR, ID). State-supervised reentry housing through DPS contracts and nonprofits - almost entirely on Oahu (Honolulu). Neighbor island transitional housing options are extremely limited.
Out-of-state placement note: Some Hawaii inmates serve sentences in out-of-state facilities (Arizona, Oklahoma). People releasing from mainland facilities to Hawaii should contact Hawaii DPS Corrections Division well before release to coordinate the transition - travel costs and housing logistics require advance planning.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can I vote in Hawaii if I'm on parole or probation?
A: Yes. Hawaii restores voting rights upon release from prison - people on parole and probation can vote. Hawaii conducts all elections by mail - register at olvr.hawaii.gov and a ballot will be mailed to you.
Q: I was held in an out-of-state facility - how do I coordinate reentry back to Hawaii?
A: Contact Hawaii DPS (dps.hawaii.gov) well before your release date. The logistics of returning to Hawaii from a mainland facility require advance coordination - including travel arrangements and establishing housing and benefits before you return. Legal Aid Society of Hawaii (legalaidhawaii.org / 808-536-4302) can assist with coordination.
Q: Can my Hawaii drug conviction be expunged?
A: If your first-offense drug possession charge was handled through judicial discharge (HRS § 706-622.5) and you successfully completed the program, the conviction is expunged. For other conviction records, Hawaii's expungement framework is limited. Contact Legal Aid Society of Hawaii for a free evaluation.
Q: How do I apply for Med-QUEST (Medicaid) in Hawaii after prison?
A: Apply at medquest.hawaii.gov or call 1-800-316-8005. Hawaii has had broad healthcare coverage since 1974 and most returning citizens qualify.
Q: Does Hawaii ban the box for private employers?
A: Yes - Hawaii was one of the first states in the country to enact statewide ban-the-box legislation. Employers cannot ask about criminal history on initial job applications. Hawaii Workforce Development (labor.hawaii.gov) connects returning citizens to employment resources. TruthFinder WIDGET Search Hawaii inmate and arrest records INTERNAL LINKS - inmateaid.com/halfway-houses/hawaii/ - inmateaid.com/reentry/ - inmateaid.com/reentry/myths-and-facts/ EXTERNAL LINKS (new tab) - dps.hawaii.gov - medquest.hawaii.gov - olvr.hawaii.gov - hidot.hawaii.gov - legalaidhawaii.org - labor.hawaii.gov - findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov SCHEMA BreadcrumbList + FAQPage DATA SOURCES Voting rights: HRS § 831-2 / elections.hawaii.gov; ccresourcecenter.org Medicaid: Prepaid Health Care Act 1974; kff.org ACA expansion tracker 2014 SNAP: ccresourcecenter.org full opt-out confirmed Expungement: HRS § 831-3.2; HRS § 706-622.5 (judicial discharge) / legalaidhawaii.org Ban the box: HRS § 378-2.5 - one of first statewide laws in country / HCRC Out-of-state incarceration: Hawaii DPS uses mainland facilities (AZ, OK) for overflow - confirmed operational fact All-mail elections: Hawaii Office of Elections - all registered voters receive mail ballot BOP RRM: RRM Seattle covers HI, AK, WA, OR, ID Hawaii healthcare history: Prepaid Health Care Act of 1974 - predates ACA by 36 years